font settings and languages

Font Size: Large | Normal | Small
Font Face: Verdana | Geneva | Georgia
Languages:

Acronicta rubricoma

(Ruddy Dagger Moth)

Overview

[ Back to top ]

Interesting Facts

[ Back to top ]
 

Common Names

[ Back to top ]

Common Names in English:

Ruddy Dagger Moth

Description

[ Back to top ]

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]

Physical Description

Species Acronicta rubricoma

Forewing powdery gray to brownish; pattern usually sharper and reniform spot usually larger and more distinct than in other dagger moths. Faint black dashes sometimes present in basal area and near anal angle . Hindwing whitish with gray shading; veins blackish. (ref. 106821)

Size/Age/Growth

Wing span : 3.8-4.4 cm. (ref. 106821)

Biology

[ Back to top ]

Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Elms, hackberry, sumac. (ref. 106821)

Taxonomy

[ Back to top ]

Synonyms

Acronicta rubricoma Guen ée 1852 • Acronycta rubricoma Guenee 1852

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

[ Back to top ]

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

[ Back to top ]

Further Reading

[ Back to top ]

Notes

[ Back to top ]

Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=34&sci=Noctuidae&com=Owlet Moths, Miller Moths [back]
Last Revised: 7/16/2012