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Species Acronicta vinnula - Delightful Dagger - Hodges#9225

Acronicta vinnula (Grote) - Acronicta vinnula Acronicta vinnula Delightful Dagger - Acronicta vinnula moth - Acronicta vinnula Dagger moth? - Acronicta vinnula Acronicta vinnula - Delightful Dagger - Acronicta vinnula Acronicta vinnula Acronicta vinnula
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)
Family Noctuidae (Owlet Moths)
Subfamily Acronictinae
Genus Acronicta (Dagger Moths)
Species vinnula (Delightful Dagger - Hodges#9225)
Hodges Number
9225
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Acronicta vinnula (Grote, 1864)
Microcoelia vinnula Grote, 1864
Acronycta vinnula vinnula (Grote, 1864) (1)
Acronycta vinnula paupercula Grote, 1874 (1)
Acronycta paupercula Grote, 1874
Acronycta lepetita Smith, 1908, n. syn. of Acronycta vinnula paupercula Grote, 1874 (1)
Acronycta vinnula floridensis Schmidt & Anweiler. 2020 (1)
Acronicta vinnula percolens Franclemont, 1938 (2) - unavailable infraspecific name proposed for a melanic form. (1)
Explanation of Names
vinnul (L). 'delightful' (3)
Size
wingspan 28-32 mm
Identification
Adult: forewing variable, mottled pale gray, dark gray, or green; note white inside orbicular spot and along PM line; PM line usually straight below bulge; basal dash often appears two-segmented, with distal segment offset [adapted from Charles Covell]
Larvae chunky, pale green with white lines more prominent in the latter half of the body.

A. v. paupercula: "... powdery, brownish-gray forewing with little or no dark shading in the medial and subterminal areas", lacks green tones. (1)
A. v. floridensis: Pale forewing, reduced markings, lacks green tones. (1)
Range
e NA (TX-FL-ME-NE) - Map (MPG)(1)
A. v. paupercula: Central and south TX. Phenotypically grades into nominate A. v. vinnula in east-central TX. (4)(1)
A. v. floridensis: Coastal SC to central FL. (1)
Type locality (vinnula)]: NJ.
Type locality (paupercula): TX.
Type locality ( floridensis ): Peace River, DeSoto Co., FL.
Season
adults fly from April to August
Mature larvae from late May to Nov (5)
Food
larvae feed on leaves of elm (Ulmus)
Life Cycle
at least two generations per year
See Also
small size, white orbicular spot, and straight lower portion of white-bordered PM line separates vinnula from all other Acronicta species
Print References
Grote, A.R., 1874. New species of North American Noctuids. Proceedings of The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 26: 197. (Acronycta paupercula)
Internet References
pinned adult images of light and dark forms (John Glaser, Maryland)
Works Cited
1.Noctuoidea Noctuidae (Part) Pantheinae, Raphiinae, Balsinae, Acronictinae
Schmidt, B.C. & G.G. Anweiler. 2020. The Moths of North America.
2.Descriptions of new melanic forms (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Noctuidae and Arctiidae)
Franclemont, J.G. 1938. Entomological news, 49: 108-114.
3.Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms
Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.
4.Illustrated Checklist of the Lepidoptera of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Vol. 2B: Macro-Moths
Ed Knudson & Charles Bordelon. 2004. Texas Lepidoptera Survey, Houston. xiv + 59 pp. 20 plates.
5.Caterpillars of Eastern North America
David L. Wagner. 2005. Princeton University Press.