Bug FAQHazel Dagger
Acronicta falcula · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Corylus Dagger, Corylus Dagger Moth
The corylus dagger moth has a wingspan of about 42 mm. Its caterpillars feed on the leaves of hazel (Corylus) plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Acronicta falcula, known as the corylus dagger moth, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 42 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat the foliage of Corylus (hazel) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There are probably two generations each year, one in May and another from July to August.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults appear in two broods, roughly in May and again from July to August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 19 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Wisconsin, Michigan, Oklahoma, New York.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars of the corylus dagger moth eat?
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of hazel (Corylus) plants.
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_falcula
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.