Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
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View PDFNoctuidae Members:
Acronicta Members:
62 NC Records

Acronicta betulae Riley, 1884 - Birch Dagger

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: AcronictinaeP3 Number: 931429.00 MONA Number: 9208.00
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 betulae 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 Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954); Schmidt and Anweiler (2020)                                                                                 
Wingspan: 3.5 - 4 cm (Covell, 1984)
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.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Most of our records come from floodplains or their vicinity where River Birch is present. One record from an upland site in the Mountains is associated with a planted stand of River Birch. David George also reports frequent sightings of adults in an urban residential neighborhood in Durham (not near any floodplains), where two River Birches have been planted.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are monophagous on River Birch (Wagner et al., 2011).
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Wet Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR 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 betulae - Birch Dagger

35 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-07-12
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-05-22
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: John Petranka on 2022-09-04
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George on 2022-08-28
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: David George on 2022-08-24
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2022-08-16
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-06-29
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George on 2022-05-04
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: David George on 2022-05-04
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George on 2022-04-22
Durham Co.
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Recorded by: David George on 2022-04-22
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-04-22
Madison Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-07-14
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-07-06
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Steve Hall on 2021-06-07
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-05-15
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2021-05-13
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-04-27
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-04-20
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-04-18
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2021-04-14
Cumberland Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-04-13
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-04-12
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2021-04-07
Moore Co.
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Recorded by: Robert Gilson on 2020-03-20
Iredell Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2019-08-30
Onslow Co.
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Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2019-08-15
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2019-07-09
Guilford Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-05-28
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2019-05-01
Buncombe Co.
Comment: