Species Acronicta insita - Large Gray Dagger - Hodges#9202

9202

Alder Dagger

Acronicta insita (Walker, 1856)

Acronicta dactylina (Grote, 1874)

Acronicta hesperida (Smith, 1897)

uncommon, but widely distributed

wingspan 45-55 mm

Adult: Powdery gray FW with darker markings and whitish HW. FW with the normal markings somewhat broken and blurred, the outer part of the PM and a partial reniform spot most prominent. The orbicular spot is a small, hollow ring. There is no basal dash. The anal "dagger mark" is blurred but obvious. The male hindwings are white with grey scales along the veins. The female is larger and is more heavily dusted with grey on the hindwings. Antennae in both sexes are simple.

Larva: body covered with stiff orange or brown hair dorsally, and pale yellowish or white hair laterally, with several much longer black hairs and white hairs concentrated near the front and back (may also have three dense dorsal tufts of long black hair on abdominal segments 1, 3, and 8)

all of United States and southern Canada (Newfoundland to Florida, west through Texas to California, north to British Columbia)

deciduous and mixedwood forest

adults may be active from April to September but normally have a more restricted flight season (May to August, or just June and July, depending on location)

larvae present from July to October

larvae feed on alder, birch, poplar, hawthorn, willow

one generation per year; overwinters as a pupa in leaves or debris protected in tough oval cocoon of coarse silk and hair (1)

Life cycle images:

1.larva 2.adult

Large, pale, poorly marked adults of western populations were previously considered a separate species (Acronicta hesperida).