Moths of North Carolina

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Agnorisma badinodis (Grote, 1874) - Pale-banded Dart

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Noctuidae

Subfamily:
Noctuinae

Tribe:
Noctuini

P3 Number:
933626

MONA Number:
10955.00

Other Common Name:
Spotted-sided Cutworm

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Xestia badinodis); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Adult Markings: The head, thorax, and ground of the forewings range in color from gray to light brown. The antemedian is pale with some dark shading on its medial side. In this species, the antemedian slants rearward from the costa down to a conspicuous black, wedge-shaped mark, forming an outward projection that typically touches the orbicular spot (Forbes, 1954; Lafontaine, 1998). In Agnorisma bollii, the antemedian runs more-or-less straight across from the costa to the inner margin and the orbicular spot is usually separated from it. The postmedian is similarly pale but runs across the wing in a smooth curve. In addition to these two lines, the most conspicuous marks are the black wedge adjacent to the orbicular and antemedian; a small black claviform spot; and a large squarish patch located between the orbicular and the reniform spots. In A. badinodis the large patch is concolorous with the subterminal area, with both usually brownish rather than black; in A. bollii these areas are typically black. In A. badinodis, the subterminal area is typically followed by a terminal area filled with the ground color; in A. bollii, the subterminal and terminal areas are similarly shaded with no clear separation between them. In both species, the orbicular and reniform spots are filled with the ground color and are often noticeable only by their broken white outlines. These are usually most strongly marked where they border the wedge-shaped and squarish dark patches.

Wingspan: 30-34 mm (Forbes, 1954)

Forewing Length: 16-20 mm (Lafontaine, 1998)

Adult Structural Features: The wings are usually broader in this species than in Agnorisma bugrai or A. bollii and the outer margin is more convex and the apex sharper (Forbes, 1954). The male antennae are pectinate in A. badinodis and A. bollii but serrate in A. bugrai. All three species can be distinguished based on male reproductive structures.

Structural photos

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
Immature 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: Habitats include forests, fields, and wastelands (Wagner et al., 2011)

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, feeding on a wide variety of forbs, shrubs, and small trees, including Viburnum (Wagner et al., 2011). Crumb (1956) specifically lists tobacco, dock (Rumex), chickweed (Stellaria), and clover (Trifolium). In North Carolina, a larva has been reared from grass (Poa sp.). - View

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Fields

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S4S5]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.

Comments:

Photo Gallery for Agnorisma badinodis - Pale-banded Dart

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

	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-10-24 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Merrill Lynch on 2025-10-21 Halifax Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Merrill Lynch on 2025-10-21 Halifax Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-10-18 Henderson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-10-15 Henderson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-10-13 Henderson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Marilyn Westphal on 2025-10-12 Henderson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-16 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-16 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-16 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-14 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-14 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Rich Teper on 2024-11-05 Chatham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-11-01 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: John Petranka on 2024-10-31 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-10-30 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-10-24 Graham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-10-23 Graham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-21 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-10-13 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-07 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-10-05 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-11-18 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-11-17 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-11-17 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-11-11 Wilson Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-11-11 Wilson Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-11-10 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall on 2023-11-10 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-11-10 Wilson Co. Comment: