''Acronicta oblinita'', the smeared dagger moth or arioch dagger, is a moth of the family

Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly changing, along with the other f ...

. Its larva, the smartweed caterpillar, has urticating hairs. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797.

Description

The smeared dagger moth adult has a wingspan of . The forewings have a mottled gray appearance, with orbicular and reniform spots on each dorsal surface that are incompletely outlined and indistinct. Smeared-appearing dark wedge spots are present along the postmedial line with their apices pointed inward. There is a terminal line of dark spots on the forewing. The hindwings are white and also have small dark spots along their terminal line. The larva is a caterpillar up to long that bears numerous tufts of irritating setae on wart-like protuberances along its thoracic and abdominal segments. There are bright yellow blotches in the shape of carets (inverted "V" shapes) between the laterally-positioned spiracles.

Range

The smeared dagger moth is found across Canada as far north as Lake Athabasca. In the United States, the moth is found in the Pacific Northwest and east of the Rocky Mountains south to Florida and Texas.

Habitat

Habitats include

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

s and coastal marshes in the Pacific Northwest and wetlands, forests and meadows more generally. Individuals have been collected in boreal forests in Canada.

Life cycle

The smeared dagger moth has one to two generations per year. In the coastal plain of North Carolina, adults can be seen beginning in early March through late June and again from mid-August until early October. Caterpillars may pupate within folded leaves of their host plant. Overwintering occurs as pupae.

Host plants

Larval hosts: *'' Salix'' spp. *'' Alnus'' spp. *''

Fragaria ''Fragaria'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. There are more than 20 described species and many hybrids and cultivars. The most common strawberries grown com ...

'' spp. *''

Typha ''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or reedmace, in American English as reed, cattail, or punks, in A ...

'' spp. *'' Chamaenerion angustifolium'' *'' Polygonum'' spp.

References

External links

* * Acronicta Moths of North America Taxa named by James Edward Smith Moths described in 1797 {{Acronictinae-stub