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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Noctuidae 933506 – 10641   Agrotis vetusta (Walker, 1856)              Old Man Dart

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Larva and Host Plants: Host familiy: Apiaceae Asparagaceae[Liliaceae] Amaranthaceae[Chenopodiaceae] Asteraceae Brassicaceae Cucurbitaceae Fabaceae Poaceae Malvaceae Rosaceae Scrophulariaceae Solanaceae Vitaceae.  Host genera: Asparagus Atropa Brassica Gossypium Lactuca Malus Medicago Nicotiana Petroselinum Phaseolus Rubus Solanum[=Lycopersicon] Solidago Spinacia Taraxacum Vigna Vitis Zea.  Notes: crops & low plants (Leckie & Beadle 2018); soil-burrowing cutworm on general herbaceous vegetation (Crabo et al 2014).  (Shropshire & Douglas 2025) Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: vetusta (Walker, 1856) (Mythimna) - MONA 1983: 10641 catenuloides (Smith, 1910) (Porosagrotis) muraenula Grote & Robinson, 1868 (Agrotis) mutata (Barnes & Benjamin, 1924) (Porosagrotis)

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced. Lafontaine, J. D., 2004. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 27.1: p. 228; pl. J.44-45. order or free PDF Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 58.1m; p. 312. Book Review and ordering Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online) Species Page at Block Island Moths Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at E. H. Strickland Museum Species Page at Mass Moths Species Page at Pacific Northwest Moths Species Page at iNaturalist

© Hugh McGuinness © Janice Stiefel © Charles Melton - DNA

LG – © Jim Troubridge 38mm – © Jim Vargo

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