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Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada
9 September 2005 11:30PM EST (top left)
6 September 2005 10:13PM EST (top right)
9 September 2005 10:16PM EST (bottom left and bottom right)
The two photos at bottom are of the same specimen.
Agrotis venerabilis is one of seven species of Agrotis
recorded from the Ottawa area (J.D. Lafontaine, pers. comm., 2001), five of
which are illustrated on this website.
In the early fall, when I see a moth with very white tegulae,
reminding me of a football player's shoulder pads, as it darts around my lights, I know Agrotis
venerabilis has arrived. The forewing is light grayish or yellowish
brown, with dark brown to black markings. Blackish shading along the costa
extends to surround the reniform spot, and occasionally reaches the apex.
The orbicular and reniform spots are filled with the same dark color, sometimes
with a pale outline that is often incomplete around the reniform spot. There
is a black dash at the location of the claviform spot, contrasting strongly with the
ground color that surrounds it. Antemedial and postmedial lines are not
evident. In the subterminal area, there are two dark patches at the outer
margin, one slightly below the apex, and the other slightly above the anal
angle; often there are dark streaks along and between the veins between these
two patches. The fringe is brown, with a line in it parallel to the outer
margin. The hindwing is grayish brown with a pale, whitish fringe.
Covell (1984) indicates a wingspan of 3.5 to 4.0 cm for this species; he also
describes the thorax as brown, and notes that the tegulae are whitish in the
male of the species.
According to Covell (1984), the larva is known as the Dusky
Cutworm, and feeds on a variety of plants, including alfalfa, chickweed, clover,
corn, oats and tobacco. Handfield (pers. comm., 2005) indicates an adult flight season for my
general area from
the later part of August nearly to the end of September.
My records to date for Agrotis venerabilis (each date
representing "the night of") are in the table below: |
