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

Acronicta fragilis (Guenée, 1852) - Fragile Dagger

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: AcronictinaeP3 Number: 931458.00 MONA Number: 9241.00
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 fragilis 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: 2.9 - 3.2 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: Schmidt and Anweiler (2020) describe this species as associated with cool, temperate, moist-to-wet woodland habitats. Our records come from alluvial and cove forests at low elevations in the Mountains and more commonly in high elevation forests.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on a wide range of hardwood trees and shrubs, including Alder, Apple, Beech, Birch, Cherry, Mountain Ash, Plum, Rose, Serviceberry, and Willow (Wagner et al., 2011). Species in the Rosaceae seem to be preferred, with members of the Betulaceae also commonly use (Schmidt and Anweiler, 2020).
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Montane Mesic Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 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 fragilis - Fragile Dagger

Photos: 14

Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-06-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Annkatrin Rose on 2023-06-17
Avery Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-06-29
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-06-28
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-06-14
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Owen McConnell on 2021-05-21
Graham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-24
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2016-06-28
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger, P. Scharf on 2015-06-18
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Paul Scharf, B Bockhahn, K Kittelberger on 2014-06-07
Avery Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2014-05-28
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2014-05-26
Yancey Co.
Comment: