Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Wingspan 3.9 cm. Forewing is gray to black with a yellow costal margin and a pear-shaped orbicular spot connected to the costal margin. This noctuid is abundant and widely distributed in western North America. Moths fly in late summer. Caterpillars feed on herbs and grasses.
Similar species: three additional species of Parabagrotis are abundant in the Pacific Northwest; Parabagrotis sulinaris is larger, forewing is pale yellow, red, or dark red-brown; Parabagrotis insularis is smaller, forewing is dark black or red and lacks a yellow costal margin; Parabagrotis formalis forewing is pale gray or red-brown with an elongate orbicular spot and a broad black prothoracic collar; species of Euxoa are similar in appearance but lack the pear-shaped orbicular spot of Parabagrotis.