Black Cutworm vs Common Lamb'S-Quarters

Agrotis ipsilon compared with Chenopodium album

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Black Cutworm Common Lamb'S-Quarters
Kingdom Animalia (Animals) Plantae (Plants)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class Insecta (Insects) Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths) Caryophyllales (Caryophyllales)
Family Noctuidae Amaranthaceae
Genus Agrotis Chenopodium
Species Agrotis ipsilon Chenopodium album

Conservation Status

Black Cutworm

LC — Least Concern

Common Lamb'S-Quarters

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Black Cutworm Common Lamb'S-Quarters
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black Cutworm

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Afrotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (7 countries), Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Chile).

Common Lamb'S-Quarters

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and deserts and xeric shrublands, among 9 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (12 countries), Asia (17 countries), Europe (21 countries), North America (4 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (7 countries).

Black Cutworm

The Black Cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon) is a species in the genus Agrotis. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the. Widely distributed across Africa (7 countries), Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (Canada, United Stat...

Common Lamb'S-Quarters

Common Lamb's-Quarters (<em>Chenopodium album</em>) is an annual herb in the family Amaranthaceae, classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It has an exceptionally broad global distribution, native to twelve African countries, seventeen Asian countries, twenty-one European countries, four North American countries, Australia in Oceania, and seven South American countries. The species occupies nine distinct biome types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands, and desert environments. It typically thrives in disturbed, nutrient-rich substrates such as agricultural fields, roadsides, garden beds, and waste ground, making it one of the world's most widespread ruderal plants. The young leaves are edible and have been used as a leafy vegetable and pot herb across many cultures historically. Its remarkable adaptability to a wide range of climatic zones and habitat types explains both its cosmopolitan distribution and stable conservation status. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.

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