Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Acronicta Members: 30 NC Records

Acronicta noctivaga Grote, 1864 - Night-wandering Dagger

Acronicta noctivagaAcronicta noctivagaAcronicta noctivagaAcronicta noctivaga
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Acronictinae		P3 Number:
931477.4		 MONA Number:
9259.00
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 noctivaga is a member of Species Group V of Forbes (1954), which in North Carolina also includes A. impleta, A. impressa, A. longa, A. oblinita, A. lanceolaria, and A. sinescripta.
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: 3.3 - 3.7 cm (Covell, 1984)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Found primarily at lower elevations in the mountains, it also occurs in at least a few locations along the coast, but is apparently absent from most of the state.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Acronicta noctivagaAlamance 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: Wagner et al. (2011) list barrens, floodplains, woodlands, and forest edges as habitats used by this species. In the Mountains, our records come mainly from alluvial and cove forests, but also from high elevation summits. In the Piedmont, records come lake shores and in the Coastal Plain from swamps.
Larval Host Plants: Smith and Dyar (1898, p. 258) state that host plants are "Poplar; also various low plants." Tim McCabe (cited in Wagner et al., 2011) found a larva on meadowsweet (Spiraea) and reared this species both on that plant as well as cherry (Prunus). While meadowsweet may be used in the mountains, it does not occur in the Piedmont and coastal plain, where cottonwoods (Populus) seem more likely. Robinson et al. (2010) also list Red Oak (Quercus rubra), dogbane (Apocynum), and blueberry (Vaccinium), but these hosts require confirmation and more research is needed into the host plants that are utilized in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S2S3]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species is infrequent in the mountains and there are also puzzling records as far east as Bald Head Island. More information is needed concerning its host plants and habitat associations.

 Photo Gallery for Acronicta noctivaga - Night-wandering Dagger

Photos: 16
Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-04-22
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-07-23
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: tom ward on 2023-07-25
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-07-14
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2023-07-12
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-07-28
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-05-09
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2021-05-27
Graham Co.
Comment:
Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-09
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-06
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2019-07-06
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-07-13
Madison Co.
Comment:
Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2018-05-09
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2017-06-28
McDowell Co.
Comment:
Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2016-08-01
Ashe Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta noctivagaRecorded by: T. DeSantis on 2011-05-02
Camden Co.
Comment: Photograph taken on May 2, 2011 was submitted to BugGuide