Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
« Home »
View PDFNoctuidae Members: Acronicta Members: 58 NC Records

Acronicta oblinita (J.E. Smith, 1797) - Smeared Dagger

Acronicta oblinitaAcronicta oblinitaAcronicta oblinitaAcronicta oblinita
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Acronictinae		P3 Number:
931485		 MONA Number:
9272.00		 Other Common Name:
Smartweed Caterpillar
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 oblinita is a member of Species Group V of Forbes (1954), which in North Carolina also includes A. impleta, A. noctivaga, A. impressa, A. longa, 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: 3.6 - 5.4 cm (Covell, 1984)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Found primarily in the coastal plain and sandhills regions, but we also have a few records from the Piedmont.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Acronicta oblinitaAlamance 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 beaches, marshes, wet meadows, swamps, and other open, usually wet to moist habitats as used by this species. Our records come almost entirely from the edges of ponds, lakes, and stream shorelines, most fairly open and with a rich herbaceous vegetation.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, feeding on many species of forbs, shrubs, and small trees, including some conifers (Wagner et al., 2011). Covell (1984) lists apple (Malus), clover (Trifolium), Corn (Zea mays), cotton (Gossypium), elm (Ulmus), oak (Quercus), pine (Pinus), smartweed (Persicaria), strawberry (Fragaria), and willow (Salix). In North Carolina as of 2025, this species has been observed feeding on Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Swamp Cottonwood (Populus heterophylla) and two native willow species, Coastal Plain Willow (Salix caroliniana) and Silky Willow (S. sericea). It likely utilizes a wide range of other host plants in the state. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Shoreline Forblands
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 oblinita - Smeared Dagger

 32 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Matt O'Driscoll on 2025-10-11
Alamance Co.
Comment: Larva was feeding on Populus heterophylla.		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Matt O'Driscoll on 2025-10-11
Alamance Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2025-09-09
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Merrill Lynch on 2025-08-22
Halifax Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-04
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-04
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Larry Chen, Sarah Toner on 2023-10-06
Dare Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-07-17
Orange Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-06
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2023-03-27
New Hanover Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: David George on 2022-09-17
Orange Co.
Comment: Larva feeding on Salix caroliniana		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: David George on 2022-09-17
Orange Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2022-09-09
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2022-09-09
Orange Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2022-09-09
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn on 2022-09-09
Orange Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2021-06-20
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2021-06-20
Orange Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Bo Sullivan and Steve Hall on 2021-05-10
Moore Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-03-30
Bladen Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-03-30
Bladen Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2017-09-13
Scotland Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Stephen Hall and Ed Corey on 2016-10-01
Bladen Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2016-05-18
Scotland Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Tracy S. Feldman on 2016-05-18
Scotland Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2016-03-15
Cabarrus Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Britta Muiznieks on 2014-09-23
Dare Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: F. Williams, S. Williams on 2013-09-04
Gates Co.
Comment:
Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Lenny Lampel on 2012-06-21
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: 		Acronicta oblinita
Recorded by: Steve Hall on 2008-10-21
Hoke Co.
Comment: