Black Cutworm vs Ground Lackey

Agrotis ipsilon compared with Malacosoma castrensis

Key Differences

Black Cutworm is Least Concern while Ground Lackey is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black Cutworm	Ground Lackey
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class same	Insecta (Insects)	Insecta (Insects)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Noctuidae	Lasiocampidae
Genus	Agrotis	Malacosoma
Species	Agrotis ipsilon	Malacosoma castrensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Black Cutworm and Ground Lackey share a common ancestor at the Order level: Lepidoptera. (Butterflies & Moths)

View Order: Lepidoptera

Conservation Status

Black Cutworm

LC — Least Concern

Ground Lackey

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black Cutworm	Ground Lackey
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).

Ground Lackey

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, and Norway. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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...