Tessellate dart facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tessellate dart
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Euxoa
Species:	E. tessellata
Binomial name
Euxoa tessellata (Harris, 1841)
Synonyms
Agrotis tessellata Harris, 1841 Mamestra insulsa Walker, 1856 Agrotis insignata Walker, [1857] Agrotis perlentans Walker, [1857] Agrotis maizi (Fitch, 1864) Agrotis atropurpurea Grote, 1877 Agrotis tesselloides Grote, 1882 Agrotis finis Smith, 1888 Agrotis remota Smith, 1890 Carneades flaviscapula Smith, 1900 Carneades noctuiformis Smith, 1900 Carneades neotelis Smith, 1900 Carneades atrofusca Smith, 1900 Carneades objurgata Smith, 1900 Carneades cariosus Smith, 1900 Carneades nordica Smith, 1900 Carneades caesia Smith, 1900 Carneades acutifrons Smith, 1900 Carneades laminis Smith, 1900 Euxoa marinensis McDunnough, 1941 Euxoa caesia Smith, 1900 Euxoa cariosa Smith, 1900

The tessellate dart moth, also known as the striped cutworm, is a type of moth that belongs to the family Noctuidae. It is the most common Euxoa species found across North America.

About the Tessellate Dart Moth

This moth is found in many different places. You can see it from Newfoundland all the way to Alaska. In the western parts of North America, it lives south to California, Arizona, and New Mexico. In the east, it goes as far south as Florida. However, it does not seem to live in Texas or the states right next to it in the eastern United States.

Size and When It Flies

The tessellate dart moth has a wingspan of about 30 to 38 millimeters. That's roughly the length of a few paperclips! Adult moths are usually seen flying from June to September.

What the Larvae Eat

The young moths, which are called larvae or caterpillars, are sometimes known as "cutworms." This is because they can damage young plants. They do this by chewing through the stems of plants near the ground, which can cause the plants to fall over.

These larvae enjoy eating various garden crops. They also feed on the leaves of fruit trees like apple, cherry, and pear trees.