Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Agrotis ("female farmer") exclamationis ("exclamation")

 

Adult Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis) at Geddington, Northants, UK - May 2026

Featured Subspecies: Agrotis exclamationis exclamationis
Weight: ?  /  Length: ?  /  Wingspan: 35-44mm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

An extremely widely distributed species found from Ireland to Japan and considered a common moth in Europe. It gets its name from the markings on its forewings which, as the name suggests, resemble hearts and darts. They feed on a wide variety of plants including commercially grown ones such as potato, maize, beets, strawberries and lettuce, and do so in a way that can kill the host plant, making them unpopular in agriculture.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Lepidoptera 
Family: Noctuidae 
Genus: Agrotis
SUBSPECIES: A. e. corsica, A. e. exclamationis, A. e. informis
 

- Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - A fairly common resident
 - Seen in Geddington

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto