Lined Tiger Moth vs Black Cutworm

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lined Tiger Moth Black Cutworm
Scientific Name Grammia virgo Agrotis ipsilon
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Arctiidae Noctuidae
Size 55-75 mm wingspan 40-55 mm wingspan
Habitat Meadows Indoors
Diet Herbivores Seed Feeders
Regions Eastern and Central North America Worldwide
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Lined Tiger Moth

A boldly patterned moth with black forewings bearing thin cream stripes and bright pinkish-red hindwings with black patches. It is one of the largest North American tiger moths.

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Did You Know?

When threatened, it emits a frothy yellow fluid from glands behind its head that contains noxious chemicals.

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.