Moths of North Carolina
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Acronicta Members:
80 NC Records

Acronicta longa Guenée, 1852 - Long-winged Dagger

Acronicta longaAcronicta longaAcronicta longaAcronicta longa
Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: AcronictinaeP3 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)
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: 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 (2005) lists birch, blackberry, cherry, oak, and rose. Forbes (1954) also lists alder, and Covell (1984) adds willow. More research is needed to determine which species are utilized in North Carolina. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Forests and Shrublands
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 longa - Long-winged Dagger

Photos: 12

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