Black Army Cutworm

A common widespread species; no concerns.

Adults have been collected in Alberta from early mid July through mid September.

Holarctic; from Newfoundland to western Europe, mainly in the boreal region, south to New England, southern Montana and northern Oregon. It occurs throughout most of the wooded areas of Alberta, including the wooded valleys in the grasslands region.

A medium-size (3.9-4.2 cm wingspan) dark brown moth with relatively narrow forewings with doubled black basal, antemedian and postmedian lines. The subterminal line is a marked by a row of lighter scales. The orbicular and reniform spots are prominent, the former oval and filled with light brown scales and the later kidney-shaped and partly filled with rusty-orange. The claviform is elongate and filled with black, and there are two short black streaks inside the upper subterminal line. Males differ from females in having a broad pale rusty-orange border to the posterior edge of the forewings. The hindwings are dirty white, shading to darker brown toward the margin. The narrow forewings with rusty-orange reniform and, in males, the paler lower margin, will usually identify this moth. The larvae are described in Lafontaine, 2004.

Open edges; urban gardens woods and woodland and parks.

Poorly known. Adults are nocturnal and come to light. There is a single brood each year.

Larvae feed on a wide variety of plants, including Atriplex; Minuarta, Lathyrus, Salix, Vaccinium, Ulmus, Trifolium, Allijum, peas, and other trees and low plants. The preferred host is blueberry (Vaccinium) and fennica can be a pest on commercial blueberry crops in the east. They also feed on young conifers, and can be a problem where conifers have been planted for reforestation efforts, in particular in areas where blueberries are also common.

Actebia fennica, the black army cutworm or Eversmann's rustic, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by August Michael Tauscher in 1806. It has a Holarctic distribution from Newfoundland through western Europe, Siberia, the Far East, Mongolia, northern China to Korea and Japan. In North America it is mainly found in the boreal region, south to New England, southern Montana and northern Oregon.

The wingspan is 39-42 mm and the typical length is ~23 mm. Adults are on wing from July to September depending on the location. There is one generation per year.

The larvae feed on Elymus arenarius, Rumex species (including Rumex acetosella), Atriplex species, Minuartia pebloides, Lathyrus maritimus, Salix species and Vaccinium uliginosum.