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Project Noah Nature School
Agrotis venerabilis
Adult: tegulae (scales in "shoulder" area) whitish in male, pale gray in female, giving the appearance of old age; thorax brown with darker brown collar; forewing grayish to yellowish-brown; orbicular spot long & narrow with thin black outline; claviform spot a black dash; blackish shading along costa usually extends down over reniform spot but rarely reaches apex; two smaller black patches in terminal area, hindwing grayish-brown with a wingspan of 35-40 mm. Larva: common name: Dusky Cutworm has a dark brown head; body brown above, yellowish below
It's range is all of United States plus coast to coast in southern Canada. Adults fly from late August to October. Larvae feed on alfalfa, chickweed, clover, corn, oats, tobacco, and various other plants. Overwinters as a larva in the soil.
Porch light visitor.
Spotted on Nov 5, 2012
Submitted on Nov 6, 2012
2 Comments
Thank you again, KeithRoragen ") I would bet that you are right since the patterns and colors are so variable. I just wish I had found one with more distinct markings as shown in the suggested page. I'll keep my eyes open.
Can't be certain, but I'm thinking this is a Venerable Dart - Agrotis venerablis.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/9846