Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Acronicta Members: 302 NC Records

Acronicta tritona (Hübner, 1818) - Triton Dagger


Acronicta tritonaAcronicta tritonaAcronicta tritonaAcronicta tritona
view caption
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea
Family:
Noctuidae
Subfamily:
Acronictinae
P3 Number:
931432
MONA Number:
9211.00
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 tritona 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)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The ground color is dark violet gray, with brown shading over the reniform and following the postmedian line (Forbes, 1954). The basal line is black, thin, and branched. The anal dash is also black and usually prominent but the apical dash is missing. The antemedian is poorly defined or absent. The postmedian is single, black, and weakly toothed with a deep indentation at the fold. The orbicular is very small and the reniform is brown bordered anteriorly with a black curved line. The hindwing is fuscous.
Wingspan: 35-40 mm (Forbes, 1954)
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 tritonaAlamance 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.
Immature 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: immatures.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Coastal Plain records come mainly from savannas, flatwoods, and sand ridges with only a few from blackwater swamps and pocosins. Piedmont and Mountain records come almost entirely from dry ridges.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on heaths, particularly blueberries (Vaccinium), but also on azaleas (Rhododendron) and possibly other heaths (Wagner et al., 2011). In North Carolina, the species has been recorded feeding on Coastal Azalea (Rhododendron atlanticum), and J.B. Sullivan reared a larva from Sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Wet-Dry Heath Thickets
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]
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 tritona - Triton Dagger

Photos: 29
Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-23
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-22
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-09
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Allison Garton on 2025-05-25
Moore Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Kaitlyn Elliott on 2025-05-08
Cumberland Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-08
Harnett Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-03
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Mark Basinger and Miles Buddy on 2025-04-26
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-25
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-25
Columbus Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-25
Columbus Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-19
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-19
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: John Petranka, Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-04-14
Bladen Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-16
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-06-10
Chatham Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-27
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16
New Hanover Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-04-25
Wake Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Steve Hall on 2021-05-11
Scotland Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2020-07-23
Cumberland Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2020-07-23
Cumberland Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Julie Tuttle on 2017-06-06
Chatham Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2016-05-24
Carteret Co.
Comment: Larva reared from Vaccinium arboreum
Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2016-05-24
Carteret Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Robert Gilson on 2016-04-27
Mecklenburg Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Stephen Hall on 2016-04-12
Hoke Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: B. Bockhahn, P. Scharf, S. Hall on 2015-07-22
Stanly Co.
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Acronicta tritonaRecorded by: Ed Corey on 2008-09-30
Bladen Co.
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