Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Acronicta Members: 134 NC Records

Acronicta innotata Guenée, 1852 - Unmarked Dagger

Acronicta innotataAcronicta innotataAcronicta innotataAcronicta innotata
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Acronictinae		P3 Number:
931434.7		 MONA Number:
9207.00
Comments: One of 74 species in this genus found in North America north of Mexico (Schmidt and Anweiler, 2020), 42 of which have been recorded in North Carolina. Acronicta innotata is a member of Species Group II of Forbes (1954), which includes 17 additional species in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954); Schmidt and Anweiler (2020)                                                                                 
Wingspan: 3.5 - 4 cm (Covell, 1984)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Acronicta innotataAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The majority of our records come from cove forests or northern hardwood forests.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are reported to feed primarily on birches (Betula spp.), but have also been recorded on hickory (Carya), poplar (Populus), mountain-ash (Sorbus), Fire Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica), and serviceberry (Amelanchier) - all constituents of northern hardwoods - plus several others associated with mesic or wet habitats. We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Montane Mesic Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S4S5]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Acronicta innotata - Unmarked Dagger

 37 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-25
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Mark Basinger on 2025-06-23
Buncombe Co.
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Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-18
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-08-29
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-11
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-11
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2024-06-26
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-25
McDowell Co.
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Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-25
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Owen McConnell and Simpson Eason on 2024-06-19
Graham Co.
Comment:
Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-19
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta innotataRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-05-13
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31
Macon Co.
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Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-06-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-06-24
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Acronicta innotataRecorded by: David George, Ed Corey on 2023-06-17
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-06-07
Transylvania Co.
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Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-06-26
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-04-25
Buncombe Co.
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Acronicta innotataRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-04-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2021-07-19
Graham Co.
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Acronicta innotataRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-06-23
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2021-06-04
Transylvania Co.
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Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2021-05-21
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-05-11
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-06-26
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2019-07-30
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2019-07-29
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta innotataRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-25
Madison Co.
Comment: