Coast Dart vs Red-Backed Cutworm Moth

Euxoa cursoria compared with Euxoa ochrogaster

Key Differences

• Coast Dart is Least Concern while Red-Backed Cutworm Moth is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coast Dart	Red-Backed Cutworm Moth
Kingdom same	Animalia (สัตว์)	Animalia (สัตว์)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (สัตว์ขาปล้อง)	Arthropoda (สัตว์ขาปล้อง)
Class same	Insecta (แมลง)	Insecta (แมลง)
Order same	Lepidoptera (ผีเสื้อ)	Lepidoptera (ผีเสื้อ)
Family same	Noctuidae	Noctuidae
Genus same	Euxoa	Euxoa
Species	Euxoa cursoria	Euxoa ochrogaster

Evolutionary Relationship

Coast Dart and Red-Backed Cutworm Moth share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Euxoa.

Conservation Status

Coast Dart

LC — Least Concern

Red-Backed Cutworm Moth

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coast Dart	Red-Backed Cutworm Moth
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coast Dart

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Red-Backed Cutworm Moth

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and United States.

Coast Dart

Coast dart (Euxoa cursoria) is a medium-sized moth in the family Noctuidae, native to coastal sand dunes and sandy heathland habitats of northern and western Europe, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia. Adults are cryptically patterned in pale buff, grey, and brown tones that match the sandy substrates of their dune habitat, flying at night from late summer into autumn. Larvae feed on the roots of coastal dune grasses and other low-growing plants, overwintering as pupae in loose sand. The genus Euxoa includes numerous 'dart' moths distributed across the northern hemisphere, many of which are habitat specialists tied to open, sandy ground. Coast dart populations have declined significantly across their European range due to the stabilisation and vegetational succession of coastal sand dunes, reduction of bare sand patches through marram grass planting, and recreational disturbance. Despite these pressures, it is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN. In the United Kingdom, it is classified as a priority species in the Biodiversity Action Plan and is the subject of dune management programmes aimed at maintaining open sand habitat.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden