Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Acronicta Members: 81 NC Records

Acronicta longa Guenée, 1852 - Long-winged Dagger


Acronicta longaAcronicta longaAcronicta longaAcronicta longa
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea
Family:
Noctuidae
Subfamily:
Acronictinae
P3 Number:
931491.1
MONA Number:
9264.00
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 longa is a member of Species Group V of Forbes (1954), which in North Carolina also includes A. impleta, A. noctivaga, A. impressa, 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: 3.2 - 4.4 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 longaAlamance 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 et al. (2011) list dry woods, barrens, prairies, and dry fields as habitats used by this species. Most of our records in the Coastal Plain match that description, coming from dune grasslands, savannas, flatwoods, and sand ridges. In the Mountains, however, our records come from alluvial forests, coves, and high elevation hardwood forests. Piedmont records are sparse but come from lakeshores and mesic slopes.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on a wide range of hardwoods, shrubs, and vines. Wagner et al. (2011) specifically list alder (Alnus), birch (Betula), cherry (Prunus), oak (Quercus), rose (Rosa), blackberry (Rubus), and willow (Salix). In North Carolina, we have a feeding record for firethorn (Pyracantha), but more research is needed to determine which host species are utilized in our state. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Shrublands
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 longa - Long-winged Dagger

Photos: 13
Acronicta longaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-03-28
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta longaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-07
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta longaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-07
Brunswick Co.
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Acronicta longaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-24
Orange Co.
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Acronicta longaRecorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Steve Hall on 2021-05-10
Moore Co.
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Acronicta longaRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-04-17
Onslow Co.
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Acronicta longaRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-04-09
Onslow Co.
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Acronicta longaRecorded by: Steve Hall and Bo Sullivan on 2018-07-19
Ashe Co.
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Acronicta longaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2017-07-17
Cabarrus Co.
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Acronicta longaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2014-08-12
Cabarrus Co.
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Acronicta longaRecorded by: Doug Blatny/Jackie Nelson on 2011-07-21
Ashe Co.
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Acronicta longaRecorded by: Taylor Piephoff on 2010-04-09
Mecklenburg Co.
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Acronicta longaRecorded by: ASH on 2007-08-28
Moore Co.
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