Acronicta falcula
Encyclopedia
The Corylus Dagger Moth (Acronicta falcula) is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. It is found from southern New England
to southern Manitoba
and Iowa
. Recently seen from Wisconsin
, Connecticut
, Rhode Island
, New York
and Michigan
. It is reported as rare in Ohio
.
The wingspan
is about 42 mm. There are probably two generations in about May and July to August in most of its range.
The larva
e feed on the foliage of Corylus species.
Smith, 1897 and Acronicta parallela
Grote, 1879 were placed as synonyms of Acronicta falcula, but later reinstated as valid species.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It is found from southern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
to southern Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. Recently seen from Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is reported as rare in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is about 42 mm. There are probably two generations in about May and July to August in most of its range.
The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed on the foliage of Corylus species.
Taxonomy
Acronicta mansuetaAcronicta mansueta
The Gentle Dagger Moth is a species of moth of the Noctuidae family. It was considered a synonym of Acronicta falcula, but was reinstated as a valid species in 2011. It is widespread in western North America, from southern Saskatchewan west to southern British Columbia, and south to at least...
Smith, 1897 and Acronicta parallela
Acronicta parallela
The Parallel Dagger Moth is a species of moth of the Noctuidae family, it was considered a synonym of Acronicta falcula but reinstated as a valid species in 2011. It is found in North America, including Colorado and Oklahoma....
Grote, 1879 were placed as synonyms of Acronicta falcula, but later reinstated as valid species.