Agrotis venerabilis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Agrotis venerabilis, the dusky cutworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1857. It is found from coast to coast from central Canada south to Mexico. The wingspan is about 37 mm. Adults are on wing from August to September in temperate climes within their range. They have a much wider season in the Neotropics, starting at least as early as March.
The larvae feed on Medicago sativa, Trifolium, Nicotiana tabacum, Viola, Stellaria media, Avena sativa and Zea mays. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Venerable Dart sighting in Edmonton on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 170th most-seen of the 390 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Venerable Dart in Edmonton on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Venerable Dart sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Venerable Dart sightings, Edmonton has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Toronto (Canada, under 5%) and Montreal (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Venerable Dart that you can see in Edmonton (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are American Copper Underwing (about 10%), Alfalfa Looper (about 10%) and Bicolored Sallow (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Venerable Dart is recorded against all the insects logged in Edmonton (19 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
