Black Cutworm vs Mouse Flea

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black Cutworm Mouse Flea
Scientific Name Agrotis ipsilon Leptopsylla segnis
Order Lepidoptera Siphonaptera
Family Noctuidae Leptopsyllidae
Size 40-55 mm wingspan 1.5-2 mm
Habitat Indoors Indoors
Diet Seed Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Worldwide Worldwide
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Black Cutworm

A dull brown moth whose soil-dwelling caterpillars sever young seedlings at ground level during the night. It is a cosmopolitan pest that migrates long distances.

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Did You Know?

Cutworm caterpillars curl into a C-shape when disturbed, a diagnostic behavior for identifying them in soil.

Mouse Flea

A small flea that parasitizes house mice and other small rodents worldwide. It is commonly found in rodent nests in and around human dwellings.

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Did You Know?

It can transmit murine typhus from rats to humans in domestic settings.