Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Acronicta Members: 125 NC Records

Acronicta fragilis (Guenée, 1852) - Fragile Dagger

Acronicta fragilisAcronicta fragilisAcronicta fragilisAcronicta fragilis
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Acronictinae		P3 Number:
931427.1		 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 Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954); Schmidt and Anweiler (2020)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: A strongly marked species, often completely marked in black and white (Forbes, 1954), but with the white sometimes replaced with gray or grayish brown in North Carolina specimens. The antemedial and postmedial lines are both white and strongly scalloped to dentate. A medial line, if present is usually dark and merges with the inner line of the reniform. In paler specimens, a dark basal dash is present, along with a dark dash in the fold between the antemedial and medial lines. The subterminal area is typically jet black and a series of dark terminal spots is usually present. Both the orbicular and reniform spots are white or pale gray. The hindwings are also white. Acronicta noctivaga is similarly marked with contrasting black and white patches but has a dark rather than pale reniform.

Wingspan: 30 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 fragilisAlamance 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: 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. Species in the Rosaceae seem to be preferred, with members of the Betulaceae also commonly used (Schmidt and Anweiler, 2020). Wagner et al. (2011) specifically list alder (Alnus), apple (Malus), beech (Fagus), birch (Betula), cherry and plum (Prunus), mountain-ash (Sorbus), rose (Rosa), serviceberry (Amelanchier), and willow (Salix). - 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 fragilis - Fragile Dagger

Photos: 24
Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-25
Mitchell Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-18
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-11
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-07-11
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-25
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-06-24
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Owen McConnell and Simpson Eason on 2024-06-21
Graham Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: John Petranka, Chuck Smith on 2024-06-20
Watauga Co.
Comment:
Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-06-19
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-06-03
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-06-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Annkatrin Rose on 2023-06-17
Avery Co.
Comment:
Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Richard Teper on 2022-06-29
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-06-28
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-06-14
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2021-05-21
Graham Co.
Comment:
Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-24
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-06-07
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2016-06-28
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: B. Bockhahn, K. Kittelberger, P. Scharf on 2015-06-18
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: Paul Scharf, B Bockhahn, K Kittelberger on 2014-06-07
Avery Co.
Comment:
Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2014-05-28
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta fragilisRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2014-05-26
Yancey Co.
Comment: