Agrotis ipsilon
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Agrotis ipsilon, the dark sword-grass, ipsilon dart, black cutworm, greasy cutworm or floodplain cutworm, is a small noctuid moth found worldwide. The moth gets its scientific name from black markings on its forewings shaped like the letter "Y" or the Greek letter upsilon. The larvae are known as "cutworms" because they cut plants and other crops. The larvae are serious agricultural pests and feed on nearly all varieties of vegetables and many important grains.
This species is a seasonal migrant that travels north in the spring and south in the fall to escape extreme temperatures in the summer and winter. The migration patterns reflect how reproduction occurs in the spring and ceases in the fall.
Females release sex pheromones to attract males for mating. Pheromone production and release in females and pheromone responsiveness in males is dependent on the juvenile hormone (JH) and pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide (BPAN). In the span of 2 months, the moth progresses through the life cycle stages egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. Throughout this time period, this moth faces the risk of predation and parasitism, such as by Hexamermis arvalis or by the parasite Archytas cirphis... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 6 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 12 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 13 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 15 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Porto | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 3 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Rome | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 7 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Madrid | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Ipsilon Dart Moth sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 77 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 281st most-seen of the 1623 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Ipsilon Dart Moth in New York City on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ipsilon Dart Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
26th of 36
Of the 36 cities where we can rate Ipsilon Dart Moth sightings, New York City ranks 26th at under 5%. The best odds are in Auckland (New Zealand, about 20%), Porto (Portugal, about 10%) and Baltimore (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Noctuidae
The closest relatives of the Ipsilon Dart Moth that you can see in New York City (family Noctuidae, Cutworm Moths and Allies) are Large Yellow Underwing (about 10%) and American Dagger (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ipsilon Dart Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in New York City (77 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.
