Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada

31 May 2005   12:30AM EST  (top left)
3 June 2004   12:29AM EST  (top right)
24/25 May 2005   (date of moth capture)  (center and bottom left)
25 May 2005   12:44AM EST  (bottom right)
The three photos at center, bottom left and bottom right are all of the same specimen.

Agrotis volubilis 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.  Having seen relatively few specimens, I find it somewhat difficult to distinguish Agrotis volubilis from specimens of Agrotis stigmosa (Hodges 10658) and Agrotis obliqua (Hodges 10660), and I am grateful to Dr. J. Donald Lafontaine and Mr. James T. Troubridge of Agriculture Canada for confirming my identifications of several specimens.

Agrotis volubilis has a light brown forewing, sometimes with a slight yellowish or pinkish tone, and a fairly smooth appearance.  Dark brown to blackish shading along the costa extends nearly to the apex, and surrounds the orbicular and reniform spots.  Antemedial and postmedial lines are at least partially evident.  A narrow, solid black dash extends from the base of the forewing to a short distance outside the am line.  The orbicular and reniform spots have a dark filling, sometimes with paler traces inside a fine black outline.  There is a black dash at the location of the claviform spot, contrasting strongly with the ground color that surrounds it.  In the subterminal area, there may be some brown shading inside the sharp zigzags of the pale subterminal line.  Outside the st line, a dark patch is usually evident about a third of the way along the outer margin below the apex.  The thorax is brownish with paler tegulae.  The hindwing is whitish, with slight gray-brown shading along the part of the outer margin nearest the apex, and with some of the veins traced with fine brown lines; the hindwing fringe is pale gray to whitish.  Covell (1984) indicates a wingspan of 3.5 to 4.0 cm for this species.  

The whitish hindwing is a useful aid for differentiating Agrotis volubilis from Agrotis stigmosa and Agrotis obliqua, both of which have noticeably darker gray-brown or brownish gray hindwings.  It is not always possible to differentiate these species without a thorough examination of the specimen, however.

According to Handfield (1999), the host plant for Agrotis volubilis is unknown, although some possibilities have been suggested by earlier authors. Handfield indicates an adult flight season from about mid-May into the beginning of July for my general area.

My records to date for Agrotis volubilis (each date representing "the night of") are in the table below: