Boll Weevil vs Subarctic Dart Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Boll Weevil Subarctic Dart Moth
Scientific Name Anthonomus grandis Agrotis gelida
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Curculionidae Noctuidae
Size 4-8 mm 32-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Tundra & Arctic
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions North America, Central America Alaska, northern Canada, subarctic Siberia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Boll Weevil

A small grayish-brown weevil with a long curved snout used to bore into cotton bolls. It devastated the American cotton industry in the early 20th century.

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Did You Know?

The boll weevil caused such economic destruction that it inadvertently forced Southern farmers to diversify their crops, ultimately benefiting some communities.

Subarctic Dart Moth

A medium-sized moth with dark grayish-brown forewings marked with kidney and orbicular spots. It flies in midsummer across subarctic tundra. Larvae are typical cutworms that feed on low-growing tundra vegetation.

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Did You Know?

The larvae spend the harsh Arctic winter frozen in the soil, resuming feeding for only a few weeks each summer.