Bug FAQCherry and Unmarked Daggers and Allies
Acronicta hasta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Cherry Dagger, Cherry Dagger Moth, Speared Dagger, Speared Dagger Moth
The forked dagger moth has a wingspan of about 35 to 45 mm and is found in eastern North American woodlands.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Acronicta hasta is also called the forked dagger, speared dagger, cherry dagger or dart dagger moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 35 to 45 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in eastern deciduous woodlands of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of cherry, oak and plum trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from April to September, with multiple generations per year depending on latitude.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults can be seen flying between April and September, varying by location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range extends west to southern Saskatchewan, Alberta and central southern British Columbia, and south to Tennessee, Wisconsin and Kansas.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Acronicta furcifera was once treated as a separate species but is now a synonym of this moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 43 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Connecticut, New York.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see the adult moths?
Adults are active from April through September, depending on where you live.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations are there each year?
In the southern part of their range there are two or more generations, while the north sees one or two.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It lives in eastern deciduous woodlands of North America, extending west to parts of Canada and south to several US states.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Noctuidae)
Ipsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Army Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver ΥAutographa gamma
American DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skinSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronicta_hasta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.