About Agrotis gladiaria Morrison, 1874
Agrotis gladiaria, commonly called the swordsman dart or claybacked cutworm, is a moth species belonging to the family Noctuidae. This species is distributed in southeastern Canada, ranging from Nova Scotia to Ontario. In the United States, it occurs from Maine to the Florida panhandle, extending west to eastern Texas, eastern Kansas, eastern Nebraska, southern Wisconsin, and Michigan. The forewings of adult individuals measure 13–16 mm in length. Depending on location, adults are active in flight from September to October. The larvae of Agrotis gladiaria feed on a broad variety of plants, including Medicago sativa, members of the families Asteraceae and Fabaceae, Rubus, Poa, Andropogon, Brassica oleracea, Trifolium, Zea mays, Solidago, Hordeum pusillum, Avena, Allium, Ipomoea batatas, Nicotiana, and Solanum lycopersicum.
