Agrotis ipsilon

Agrotis ipsilon

Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Agrotis
Species:
A. ipsilon
Binomial name
Agrotis ipsilon
(Hufnagel, 1766)
Synonyms
  • Phalaena ipsilon Hufnagel, 1766
  • Noctua suffusa Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775
  • Noctua ypsilon Rottemburg, 1777
  • Phalaena idonea Cramer, 1780
  • Bombyx spinula Esper, 1786
  • Phalaena spinifera Villers, 1789
  • Phalaena spinula Donovan, 1801
  • Agrotis telifera Harris, 1841
  • Agrotis bipars Walker, 1857
  • Agrotis frivola Wallengren, 1860
  • Agrotis aneituna Walker, 1865
  • Agrotis pepoli Bertolini, 1874
  • Agrotis aureolum Schaus, 1898

Agrotis ipsilon, the dark sword-grass, ipsilon dart, black cutworm, greasy cutworm or floodplain cutworm, is a small noctuid moth found worldwide.[2] The moth gets its scientific name from black markings on its forewings shaped like the letter "Y" or the Greek letter upsilon.[3] The larvae are known as "cutworms" because they cut plants and other crops.[4] The larvae are serious agricultural pests and feed on nearly all varieties of vegetables and many important grains.[5][6]

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.[2]

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).[7] In the span of 2 months, the moth progresses through the life cycle stages egg, larvae, pupa, and adult.[5] Throughout this time period, this moth faces the risk of predation and parasitism, such as by Hexamermis arvalis or by the parasite Archytas cirphis.[5][8]

  1. ^ "Agrotis ipsilon". NatureServe Explorer.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ McLeod, Robin (9 October 2018). "Species Agrotis ipsilon - Ipsilon Dart - Hodges#10663". BugGuide. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  4. ^ Hahn, Jeffrey & Wold-Burkness, Suzanne. "Cutworm in Home Gardens". Cutworm in Home Gardens: Insects: University of Minnesota Extension.
  5. ^ a b c Capinera, John L. "Common Name: Black Cutworm". Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, October 2006.
  6. ^ Robinson, Gaden S.; Ackery, Phillip R.; Kitching, Ian; Beccaloni, George W.; Hernández, Luis M. (2023). "HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants". Natural History Museum. doi:10.5519/havt50xw.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).