Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659
Agrotis volubilis
This record describes Agrotis volubilis (species). Recorded family: Noctuidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Adult: forewing medium brown to gray with well-defined markings; upper half of wing often darker than lower half; black dash extending from base of wing through claviform spot is distinguishing feature; orbicular spot oval, not elongate/parallel-sided; terminal area with several black triangular spots; hindwing white with dark veins
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Noctuoidea
- Family
- Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
- Subfamily
- Noctuinae
- Tribe
- Noctuini
- Genus
- Agrotis
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
woodlands, bogs; adults are nocturnal and come to light
Geographic Range
Nova Scotia to Maryland, west to Colorado, north to Alberta; also occurs in California This page (and the PDF doc it was based on) gives a distribution of "Widespread in North America from Newfoundland to British Columbia in Canada and in the United States from Maine to Florida and west to the West Coast (Lafontaine 2004)" but this is almost certainly a transcription error copied verbatim from the preceding species in the PDF doc, A. venerabilis . The Canadian list shows that A. volubilis does not occur in Newfoundland or BC, it has not been collected in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there are no local specimens in the North Carolina State collection or the Oregon State collection , and the species name does not appear on moth lists from South Carolina , Georgia , Florida , Texas ( 1 , 2 , 3 ), or Arizona .
Seasonal Activity
adults fly from late May to early July; as early as April in California Covell's Guide indicates a second flight in September (2 broods) but I found no records on the Internet later that July 9th, and no indication that volubilis is double-brooded
Diet and Behavior
Diet: unrecorded but probably a wide variety of plants
Life History
one generation per year
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Agrotis volubilis. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Robin McLeod; Additional contributions by Tony-2 , marcie oconnor , Blocky , Steve Morris
Frequently Asked Questions About Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659
What is Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659?
Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659 (Agrotis volubilis) is a species in the family Noctuidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659?
wingspan 35-40 mm
How do you identify Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659?
Adult: forewing medium brown to gray with well-defined markings; upper half of wing often darker than lower half; black dash extending from base of wing through claviform spot is distinguishing feature; orbicular spot oval, not elongate/parallel-sided; terminal area with several black triangular spots; hindwing white with dark veins
Where is Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | woodlands, bogs; adults are nocturnal and come to light |
| Range | Nova Scotia to Maryland, west to Colorado, north to Alberta; also occurs in California This page (and the PDF doc it was based on) gives a distribution of Widespread in North America from Newfoundland to British Columbia in Canada and in the United States from Maine to Florida and west to the West Coast (Lafontaine 2004) but this is almost certainly a transcription error copied verbatim from the preceding species in the PDF doc, A. venerabilis . The Canadian list shows that A. volubilis does not occur in Newfoundland or BC, it has not been collected in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there are no local specimens in the North Carolina State collection or the Oregon State collection , and the species name does not appear on moth lists from South Carolina , Georgia , Florida , Texas ( 1 , 2 , 3 ), or Arizona . |
What does Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659 eat?
The diet of the Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659 includes unrecorded but probably a wide variety of plants.
When is Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659 active?
Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659: seasonal activity - adults fly from late May to early July; as early as April in California Covell's Guide indicates a second flight in September (2 broods) but I found no records on the Internet later that July 9th, and no indication that volubilis is double-brooded.
What is the life cycle of a Voluble Dart - Hodges#10659?
one generation per year