Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Acronicta Members: 98 NC Records

Acronicta morula Grote & Robinson, 1868 - Ochre Dagger

Acronicta morulaAcronicta morulaAcronicta morulaAcronicta morula
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Acronictinae		P3 Number:
931444.3		 MONA Number:
9236.00
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. This species is placed in subgenus Agriopodes by Schmidt and Anweiler, and in the Hasta Species Group. Other members of this group in North Carolina include Acronicta hamamelis, A. lithospila, A. innotata, A. betulae, A. radcliffei, A. hasta, A. interrupta, A. laetifica, A. spinigera, A. superans, and A. lobeliae.
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: 4 - 5 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 morulaAlamance 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: Wagner (2005) lists fields, woodlands, and forest edges as habitat. The majority of our records come from cove forests and northern hardwood forests in the Mountains. In the Piedmont, records come mainly from rich bottomlands. In the Coastal Plain, it has been found in Brownwater river floodplains and a few stands of mesic hardwoods that may be associated with marl.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on elms, with only American Elm (Ulmus americana) firmly documented in the literature (Schmidt and Anweiler, 2020). A few other species, including apple (Malus), basswood (Tilia), and hawthorn (Crataegus) (Wagner, 2005) have been reported but are questionable. David George observed a caterpillar feeding on Winged Elm (Ulmus alata) in Durham County. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for Rich Wet-Mesic Hardwood Forests
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 morula - Ochre Dagger

 53 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Mark Basinger on 2025-06-23
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-09-15
Durham Co.
Comment:
Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-05
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-08-05
Mitchell Co.
Comment:
Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-25
McDowell Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Owen McConnell and Simpson Eason on 2024-06-20
Graham Co.
Comment:
Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-06
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-05-05
Durham Co.
Comment:
Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Stephen Hall on 2024-04-14
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-01
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Acronicta morulaRecorded by: David George on 2023-09-03
Durham Co.
Comment: feeding on Ulmus alata		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: David George on 2023-08-15
Orange Co.
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Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Chuck Smith on 2023-08-09
Davidson Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-04
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-07-02
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-07-02
Orange Co.
Comment:
Acronicta morulaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-12
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-05-12
Durham Co.
Comment:
Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-05-05
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-04-29
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2022-09-03
Sampson Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: David George, Lior Carlson, Brian Bockhahn on 2022-08-09
Rockingham Co.
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Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-06-29
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-06-16
Jackson Co.
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Acronicta morulaRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-06-09
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Stephen Hall on 2022-05-03
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-08-17
Wake Co.
Comment:
Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2021-05-21
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta morulaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-05-15
Madison Co.
Comment: