Interesting Facts
Common Names
Common Names in English:
Pleasant Dagger Moth
Description
Family Noctuidae
'The Noctuids are members
of the Superfamily
Noctuoidea. Worldwide in distribution, this family
is the largest in the Lepidoptera and has approximately 20,000 species. About 2,900 of these are found in North America, and there is wide variation
in appearance
and behavior. Most moths are gray to brown in color and have line
or spots on their wings
. Some species are brightly colored
. They are small to large in size, and most species are medium-sized with wingspans 2 - 4.5 cm. When at rest, adults
of most species hold their wings above their bodies like a roof. Noctuids are typically nocturnal
, though some species are diurnal
. Most larvae feed
on plant foliage
, dead leaves, lichens, and fungi; many are serious forest
pests. Some species are leaf miners, others are stem- or leaf-borers, and still others feed at night on plant shoots. Noctuid moths pupate in cells
in soil, in plant cavities, or in silk
cocoons
.
'[1]
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Animalia
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
()
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Protostomia
()
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
()
- A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
()
- Cuvier
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
()
- Latreille, 1829
- Arthropods
- Subphylum:
Mandibulata
()
- Snodgrass, 1938
- Infraphylum:
Atelocerata
()
- Heymons, 1901
- Superclass:
Panhexapoda
()
- Epiclass:
Hexapoda
()
- Class:
Insecta
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- Insects
- Subclass:
Dicondylia
()
- Infraclass:
Pterygota
()
- Cohort:
Myoglossata
()
- Superorder:
Amphiesmenoptera
()
- Order:
Lepidoptera
()
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Butterflies and Moths
- Infraorder:
Heteroneura
()
- Superfamily:
Noctuoidea
()
- Family:
Noctuidae
()
-
- Owlet Moths
- Group:
Noctuinina
()
- Subfamily:
Acronictinae
()
- Genus:
Acronicta
()
- Ochsenheimer, 1816
- Specific name:
laetifica
- Smith 1897
- Scientific name: - Acronicta laetifica Smith 1897
- Specific name:
laetifica
- Smith 1897
- Genus:
Acronicta
(
- Subfamily:
Acronictinae
(
- Group:
Noctuinina
(
- Family:
Noctuidae
(
- Superfamily:
Noctuoidea
(
- Infraorder:
Heteroneura
(
- Order:
Lepidoptera
(
- Superorder:
Amphiesmenoptera
(
- Cohort:
Myoglossata
(
- Infraclass:
Pterygota
(
- Subclass:
Dicondylia
(
- Class:
Insecta
(
- Epiclass:
Hexapoda
(
- Superclass:
Panhexapoda
(
- Infraphylum:
Atelocerata
(
- Subphylum:
Mandibulata
(
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
(
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
(
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
(
- Branch:
Protostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Synonyms
Acronycta laetifica Smith 1897
Notes
Name Status: Accepted Name .
Similar Species
Members of the genus Acronicta
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 48 species and subspecies in this genus:
A. afflicta (Afflicted Dagger Moth) · A. albarufa (Barrens Dagger Moth) · A. americana (American Dagger Moth) · A. betulae (Birch Dagger Moth) · A. brumosa (Afflicted Dagger Moth) · A. clarescens (Clear Dagger Moth) · A. connecta (Connected Dagger) · A. dactylina (Alder Dagger Moth) · A. exilis (Exiled Dagger Moth) · A. falcula (Corylus Dagger Moth) · A. fragilis (Fragile Dagger) · A. funeralis (Funerary Dagger Moth) · A. furcifera (Forked Dagger) · A. grisea (Gray Dagger) · A. haesitata (Hesitant Dagger) · A. hasta (Cherry Dagger Moth) · A. hastulifera (Frosted Dagger) · A. heitzmani (Heitzman's Dagger Moth) · A. impleta (Yellow-Haired Dagger Moth) · A. impressa (Printed Dagger) · A. inclara (Unclear Dagger Moth) · A. increta (Raspberry Bud Dagger Moth) · A. innotata (Birch Dagger Moth) · A. interrupta (Interrupted Dagger Moth) · A. laetifica (Pleasant Dagger Moth) · A. lanceolaria (Noctuid Moth) · A. leporina (Miller) · A. lepusculina (Cottonwood Dagger Moth) · A. lithospila (Streaked Dagger Moth) · A. lobeliae (Greater Oak Dagger Moth) · A. marmorata (Marble Dagger Moth) · A. modica (Medium Dagger Moth) · A. morula (Ochre Dagger Moth) · A. oblinita (Smeared Dagger Moth) · A. ovata (Ovate Dagger) · A. pruni (Prunus Dagger Moth) · A. radcliffei (Radcliffe's Dagger Moth) · A. retardata (Nondescript Dagger Moth) · A. rubricoma (Ruddy Dagger Moth) · A. rumicis (Knotgrass Moth) · A. spinigera (Nondescript Dagger Moth) · A. superans (Splendid Dagger) · A. thoracica (Acronicta Thoracica) · A. tridens (Dark Dagger) · A. tristis (Acronicta Tristis) · A. tritona (Noctuid Moth) · A. vinnula (Delightful Dagger) · A. vulpina (Miller Dagger)
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Further Reading
Notes
Contributors
- Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 15, 2012.
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 09, 2007:
- Avian Knowledge Network, Hawk Migration Association of North America - HawkCount
- Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity - Fish Collection
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles database
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2603456
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Lep-261574.0
- Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: IILEYAQ290
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 171086
Footnotes
- http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=34&sci=Noctuidae&com=Owlet Moths, Miller Moths [back]
