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Species Acronicta exilis - Exiled Dagger Moth - Hodges#9242

Noctuidae, spent pupal case - Acronicta exilis Exiled Dagger Moth  - Acronicta exilis Exiled Dagger Moth - Acronicta exilis Noctuidae, Exiled Dagger Moth - Acronicta exilis Acronicta exilis Acronicta exilis Acronicta exilis Exiled Dagger - Acronicta exilis
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 exilis (Exiled Dagger Moth - Hodges#9242)
Hodges Number
9242
Other Common Names
Lesser Oak Dagger (1)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Acronicta exilis Grote, 1874 (2), (3)
Phylogenetic sequence # 931464
Numbers
There are more than 73 named species of Acronicta in America north of Mexico. (4), (3)
Several to be described. (4)
Size
Wingspan about 28 mm. (4)
Larva mature to 25 mm. (1)
Identification
Range
Wisconsin to Maine and south to Florida and Texas. (4), (5), (6), (1)
Manitoba (4)
Moth Photographers Group - large map with some distribution data.
Habitat
Oak woodlands. (1)
Season
Most records of adults are from April to October. (4)
Food
Quercus alba L. (white oak). (1)
Other oaks are probably host. (1)
Life Cycle
Larva: (1)
First three instars feed and stay on the undersides of leaves.
Later instars will seek shelter away from the foliage.
Bark shelter for pupation.
Wagner mentions two generations in New Jersey. (1)
Larva; larva; larva; adult; spent pupa
See Also
-
Compare to others on the archived photos of living moths and pinned plates of Moth Photographers Group.
Print References
Grote, A.R., 1874. New species of North American Noctuids. Proceedings of The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 26: 197.
Works Cited
1.Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America
David L. Wagner. 2011. Princeton University Press.
2.Check list of the Lepidoptera of America north of Mexico.
Hodges, et al. (editors). 1983. E. W. Classey, London. 284 pp.
3.Annotated check list of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America north of Mexico.
Donald J. Lafontaine, B. Christian Schmidt. 2010. ZooKeys 40: 1–239 .
4.North American Moth Photographers Group
5.Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Florida
6.South Carolina Moth Species