Agrotis malefida, the rascal dart or palesided cutworm, is a moth in the family Noctuidae. Its range extends from North Carolina and Kentucky south to Florida, west to Arizona, and north to southern Kansas. It is also found in the Neotropics, from Mexico to Argentina and Chile.

Agrotis malefida
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Agrotis
Species:
A. malefida
Binomial name
Agrotis malefida
Guenée, 1852
Synonyms
  • Noctua robusta
  • Agrotis inspinosa
  • Agrotis consueta
  • Agrotis submucosa
  • ?Agrotis koehleri

The wingspan of Agrotis malefida is 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in), with forewings is 18–23 mm (0.71–0.91 in). Adults emerge in late January in the northern part of its range, while in the southern regions, they fly throughout the year.

The larvae feed on a variety of broad-leaved herbaceous plants, including Brassica oleracea, Trifolium, Fabaceae, Allium, Pisum sativum, Capsicum, Solanum tuberosum, Nicotiana, Solanum lycopersicum as well as various weeds. This moth is considered a pest on crops like Zea mays and Gossypium.

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