Bug FAQNondescript Dagger Moth
Apamea cariosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The Nondescript Dagger Moth has a wingspan of about 35 mm. It occurs in the northeastern United States and parts of eastern and central Canada.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is roughly 35 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Found in New York, Maryland, Indiana, Virginia, and several Canadian provinces including Ontario and Quebec.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 21 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Kansas, Minnesota, Colorado, Georgia, New York.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
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/Apamea_cariosa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.