Bug FAQClandestine Dart
Spaelotis clandestina · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: W-marked Cutworm, Clandestine Dart Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The clandestine dart moth has a wingspan of about 38 mm. Its larvae are pests on many trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants such as blueberries, maples, pines, beans, cabbage, corn, apples and strawberries. Adults fly from May through October across Canada, Alaska and much of the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It is a moth in the Noctuidae family, known as the clandestine dart or w-marked cutworm.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan is roughly 38 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on many plants, including Vaccinium (blueberries), Acer (maples), Pinus (pines), Fabaceae (beans), Brassica oleracea (cabbage), Zea mays (corn), Malus (apples) and Fragaria (strawberries).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May to October.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period spans May through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes all of Canada, southern Alaska and large parts of the United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 37 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Montana, Michigan, Idaho, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Alaska, Colorado, Vermont.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants does the clandestine dart damage?
Its larvae feed on blueberries, maples, pines, beans, cabbage, corn, apples and strawberries, among others.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the clandestine dart found?
It lives across Canada, southern Alaska and much of the United States, from the east coast to the Rockies and down to Arizona.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Noctuidae)
Ipsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Army Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver ΥAutographa gamma
American DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skinSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaelotis_clandestina
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.