Bug FAQCottonwood Dagger
Acronicta lepusculina · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: cottonwood dagger moth
Source: Wikipedia
Acronicta lepusculina, known as the cottonwood dagger moth, belongs to the Noctuidae family. Adults have a wingspan of about 40 to 50 mm and are on the wing from May to July.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Acronicta lepusculina is the scientific name for the cottonwood dagger moth, a member of the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan ranges from 40 to 50 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives across most of eastern North America and extends westward through southern Canada to Vancouver Island.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of willow, poplar and birch species.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active from May through July, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes eastern North America and western parts of southern Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 39 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Colorado, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Montana, Vermont.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are cottonwood dagger moths active?
Adults are on the wing from May to July, varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on the leaves of willow, poplar and birch trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are cottonwood dagger moths found?
They occur throughout most of eastern North America and extend west through southern Canada to Vancouver Island.
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_lepusculina
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.