Bug FAQReaper Dart
Euxoa messoria · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Dark-sided Cutworm, Darksided Cutworm, Reaper Dart Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The reaper dart (Euxoa messoria) is a moth in the Noctuidae family. It lives across Canada and the United States, from Newfoundland to Yukon and south to Virginia, Missouri, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The larvae feed on leaves of apple trees, cultivated vegetables and flowers, harming garden and crop plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Euxoa messoria, called the darksided cutworm or reaper dart, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures about 32 to 36 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars eat the leaves of apple trees, cultivated vegetables and various flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults fly from July through September, producing one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Moths are on the wing between July and September, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes much of Canada and the United States, spanning from Newfoundland to Yukon and down to the southern states listed above.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 33 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, Minnesota, Colorado.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on apple leaves, cultivated vegetables and various flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
When are reaper dart moths active?
Adults are active from July to September, varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the reaper dart found?
It occurs across Canada and the United States, from Newfoundland to Yukon and south to states such as Virginia, Missouri, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
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/Euxoa_messoria
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.