Bug FAQPacific Dagger
Acronicta perdita · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The Pacific dagger moth has a wingspan of about 4 to 4.6 centimeters. It lives along the west coast of North America, from British Columbia down to California. Its caterpillars eat the leaves of Ceanothus and Purshia shrubs.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Pacific dagger belongs to the Noctuidae family of moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 42 to 46 millimetres.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found from British Columbia southward to California.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on species of Ceanothus and Purshia.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adult moths are on the wing between April and July, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period for adults spans from April through July, varying with region.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes western North America, specifically British Columbia through California.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 7 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Washington, West Virginia, Colorado.
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
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_perdita
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.