Species Details

Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum Read more about this collection »

Common NameFingered Dagger Moth SeasonalityAdults have been collected in Alberta from late May through early July. IdentificationA medium-large (4.5-5.5 cm wingspan) moth with powdery grey forewings with darker markings and white hindwings. Forewings with the normal markings somewhat broken and blurred, the outer part of the postmedian line and a partial reniform spot most prominent. The orbicular spot 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. Most likely to be mistaken for the American Dagger Moth, which is darker grey-brown on both wings and has a doubled, white-filled postmedian line, or the Cottonwood Dagger Moth, which is smaller and has narrower wings with a basal dash on the forewings. This large grey heavy-bodied dagger-moth is fairly common and widespread in Alberta. The large, pale and poorly marked western populations of A. dactylina found in Alberta were until recently treated as a separate species, A. hesperida (Large Grey Dagger-moth). Both "species" were listed for Alberta by Bowman (1951). Occassional grey-black melanic specimens have been seen from the coast of BC.

Scientific Name Acronicta dactylina Common Name Fingered Dagger Moth Habitat Deciduous and mixedwood forest. Seasonality Adults have been collected in Alberta from late May through early July. Identification
A medium-large (4.5-5.5 cm wingspan) moth with powdery grey forewings with darker markings and white hindwings. Forewings with the normal markings somewhat broken and blurred, the outer part of the postmedian line and…
A medium-large (4.5-5.5 cm wingspan) moth with powdery grey forewings with darker markings and white hindwings. Forewings with the normal markings somewhat broken and blurred, the outer part of the postmedian line and a partial reniform spot most prominent. The orbicular spot 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. Most likely to be mistaken for the American Dagger Moth, which is darker grey-brown on both wings and has a doubled, white-filled postmedian line, or the Cottonwood Dagger Moth, which is smaller and has narrower wings with a basal dash on the forewings. This large grey heavy-bodied dagger-moth is fairly common and widespread in Alberta. The large, pale and poorly marked western populations of A. dactylina found in Alberta were until recently treated as a separate species, A. hesperida (Large Grey Dagger-moth). Both "species" were listed for Alberta by Bowman (1951). Occassional grey-black melanic specimens have been seen from the coast of BC.
Life History
A. dactylina is a solitary defoliator of a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs, and is usually associated with poplars in Alberta. There is a single annual brood, which overwinters as pupae. Adults come readily to…
A. dactylina is a solitary defoliator of a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs, and is usually associated with poplars in Alberta. There is a single annual brood, which overwinters as pupae. Adults come readily to light. The larvae (see Ives and Wong, 1988 p.124) are covered with stiff brown hair dorsally and yellow or white hair laterally, with several small tufts of longer black hair.
Conservation A common, widespread species; no concerns. Diet Info
In Alberta, larvae have been collected from poplar (Populus). Elsewhere reported larval hosts include a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs, including including Red alder (Alnus rubra), birches (Betula), hawthorn…
In Alberta, larvae have been collected from poplar (Populus). Elsewhere reported larval hosts include a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs, including including Red alder (Alnus rubra), birches (Betula), hawthorn (Crataegus), willows (Salix) and other deciduous trees and shrubs (see Prentice et al, 1962 and Rings et al, 1992 for more comprehensive lists).
Range
Newfoundland west to the Pacific coast and Vancouver Island, south to NC and CO. In Alberta it has been collected throughout most of the wooded areas, including the southern half of the Boreal forest, the mountains…
Newfoundland west to the Pacific coast and Vancouver Island, south to NC and CO. In Alberta it has been collected throughout most of the wooded areas, including the southern half of the Boreal forest, the mountains and foothills, the Aspen Parklands and along the wooded river valleys of the arid southern grasslands.

Citation

Page Citation for Acronicta dactylina

Page Citation

"Species Details - Acronicta dactylina, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-2841. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Authorship

Name Anweiler, G. G.
Role species page author
Date 2002-07

References

Specimen Information

There are 46 specimens of this Species.

46 results plotted on map in 26 markers.
Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.

UASM13826 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1932-06-21

UASM13831 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Red Deer Collected ByWhitehouse, F. C. Date Collected1916-06-27

UASM13833 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Ironwood Lake Collected ByFuller, E. Date Collected1995-06-16

UASM13834 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1917-06-30

UASM13841 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1916-07-08

UASM13850 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1915-07-01

UASM13859 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1946-07-04

UASM13861 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1916-06-14

UASM13868 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1928-06-16

UASM13873 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1943-05-24

UASM13874 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1917-07-05

UASM13875 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1943-07-01

UASM13881 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Date Collected1915-05-22

UASM13883 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1941-06-18

UASM13899 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Red Deer Collected ByWhitehouse, F. C. Date Collected1916-06-28

UASM13900 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Edmonton Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1922-07-27

UASM7046 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Tofield Collected BySchmidt, B. C. Date Collected1999-06-29

UASM2061 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, La Butte Creek Provincial Park Collected ByMacaulay, D.; Pohl, G. Date Collected2001-07-09

UASM2682 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Moose Lake Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected1992-06-12

UASM2683 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park Collected ByAnweiler, G. G. Date Collected1999-06-15

UASM43573 - Acronicta dactylina

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Redwater Collected ByLawrie, D. Date Collected1999-06-15

Adult Seasonal Distribution