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Ottawa (Dunrobin), ON Canada
12 July 2004 10:37PM EST (top left)
20 July 2004 12:27AM EST (top right)
7 August 2005 12:21AM EST (bottom left)
4 July 2004 12:33AM EST (bottom right)
Agrotis ipsilon, or the Ipsilon Dart, 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.
The ground color of the forewing of Agrotis ipsilon is
a pale yellowish brown, variably shaded with dark brown and black. Covell
(1984) notes that the shading is mainly along the costa in the male (for
example, top left specimen), but over most of the wing inside the postmedial
line in the female (as in the top right specimen). Antemedial and
postmedial lines are double and usually readily visible, with large zigzags or
scallops in the am line, and fine scallops in the pm line. The orbicular
and reniform spots are dark, close in color to the adjacent shading, but usually
at least partly outlined with a fine black line. A black wedge is located
between the reniform spot and the postmedial line, and sometimes appears as if
it were the end of a dash beginning at the orbicular spot and interrupted by the
reniform spot. In the subterminal area, an irregular pale subterminal line
is usually visible, with dark brown to blackish shading outside it forming a
distinct patch a short distance below the apex. The thorax is gray to
gray-brown, and the tegulae appear smooth in comparison to the tegulae of other Agrotis
species illustrated on this website. The hindwing is a somewhat dirty
white, with a dark terminal line and pale fringe. Covell (1984) indicates
a wingspan ranging from 3.2 to 5.1 cm for this species.
According to Handfield (1999), the larva of Agrotis ipsilon,
also known as the Black Cutworm, can be an economically significant pest on a
wide range of cultivated plants, including grains such as corn, a variety of
vegetables, and even flowers such as gladioli. Handfield indicates an adult flight season from
the later part of May into the second half of November for my general area, with
several generations overlapping.
My records to date for Agrotis ipsilon (each date
representing "the night of") are in the table below: |
