Moths of North Carolina

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View PDF	Noctuidae Members:	Acronicta Members:	54 NC Records

Acronicta clarescens Guenée, 1852 - Clear Dagger

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Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Noctuidae

Subfamily:
Acronictinae

P3 Number:
931434.2

MONA Number:
9246.00

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 clarescens is a member of Species Group II of Forbes (1954), which includes 17 additional species in North Carolina.

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Acronicta pruni)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954); Schmidt and Anweiler (2020)

Adult Markings: Normally easily identified by a tuft of yellowish, stiff scales at the anterior of the thorax located just behind the collar; this tuft can be missing in some specimens, however (Forbes, 1954). The ground color of the forewings is typically a light ash gray. A fine, black basal dash is present but partially obscured by a more smudgy black shade in the fold. An anal and apical black dash are also present but also somewhat smudged. The antemedian is double, with the anterior portion merging with the basal dash; the posterior portion is usually free. The postmedian is also double and regularly scalloped, with a long, outward-pointing tooth on the anal vein (just before the anal dash). The orbicular is usually ovoid and filled with the pale ground color. The reniform is often shaded with a fuscous or brownish shade that extends in from the costa as a diffuse and partial median band. A terminal series of dark gray dots is present. The hindwings are whitish but shaded with fuscous, darker in the female. Although morula also has a ochre tuft on the thorax, it is usually larger and more elongated; the ground color of that species is often shaded with ochre. Acronicta spinigera is also similar but lacks the yellow thoracic tuft and has finer, unsmudged dashes.

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.


Flight Dates: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge
Immature 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: Our records come from a wide variety of habitats, but mostly from low-lying areas near water

Larval Host Plants: Larvae are oligophagous, feeding on many woody species of the Rosaceae. Wagner et al. (2011) specifically list apple (Malus), cherry and plum (Prunus), chokeberry (Aronia), hawthorn (Crataegus), mountain-ash (Sorbus), and willow (Salix). In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded feeding on serviceberry (Amelanchier), hawthorn, and cherry. - View

Wikipedia

See also Habitat Account for General Rosaceous 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 clarescens - Clear Dagger

Photos: 30

	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-05-18 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2025-04-28 Carteret Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-09-10 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-09-10 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-09-09 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-09-09 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-08-15 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-07-29 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-05-23 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-04-16 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-04-16 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Becky Elkin, Ivanna Knox, Marietta Shattelroe and Avery Young on 2023-09-21 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: tom ward on 2023-08-07 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-25 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-10-31 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2022-08-14 Madison Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-08-06 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-07-30 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2022-07-28 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2022-07-13 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-05-23 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-10-01 Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-06-23 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-06-08 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2020-08-10 Cabarrus Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2013-08-18 Cabarrus Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Newman, Randy on 2007-05-11 Carteret Co. Comment:		Recorded by: ASH on 2006-09-01 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: ASH on 2006-09-01 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: ASH on 2006-09-01 Moore Co. Comment: