Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: 549 NC Records

Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel, 1766) - Ipsilon Dart Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: NoctuinaeTribe: NoctuiniP3 Number: 933528.00 MONA Number: 10663.00
Comments: One of twenty-three species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010), seven of which have been recorded in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Our largest Dart, with a small but noticeable blackish claviform spot and an elongated dark wedge following the reniform (Forbes, 1954). This claviform contrasts with the light brown ground color of the lower portion of the wing and is not preceded by a basal dash, as found in venerabilis and volubilis. The orbicular is rounded but with an elongated posterior extension; both the orbicular and reniform are distinctly darker than the dark shade that extends along the costa to the reniform. A small dark wedge may follow the reniform, similar but smaller than the mark found in Agrotis ipsilon. The hindwings are dirty white but shaded with fuscous along the veins and towards the outer margin. Agrostis venerabilis and volubilis are similar but have a basal dash and stronger claviform spots. Agrotis ipsilon always has a dark wedge beyond the reniform that is longer and more pointed than in the other species.
Wingspan: 40 to greater than 50 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: Male antennae are pectinate (Forbes, 1954)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants:
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Agrotis ipsilon - Ipsilon Dart Moth

126 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-06-24
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-06-07
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-06-04
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-05-24
Beaufort Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-05-21
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-04-16
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-04-12
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-03-30
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-03-22
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-03-18
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-12-27
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2021-12-16
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-12-01
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-11-30
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-11-28
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-11-10
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: R. Newman on 2021-10-29
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-10-29
Pender Co.
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Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2021-10-02
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2021-09-17
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: R. Newman on 2021-09-13
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2021-09-11
Chatham Co.
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Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2021-09-11
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2021-09-10
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-09-06
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2021-08-30
Carteret Co.
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Recorded by: David George on 2021-08-30
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-08-30
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-08-26
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-08-18
Madison Co.
Comment: