Bug FAQParallel Dagger
Acronicta parallela · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
The parallel dagger is a moth in the Noctuidae family. It occurs in North America, including Colorado and Oklahoma. It was once treated as the same species as Acronicta falcula but was restored as a distinct species in 2011.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The parallel dagger belongs to the moth family Noctuidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in North America, with records from Colorado and Oklahoma.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes North America, specifically Colorado and Oklahoma.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It was previously considered a synonym of Acronicta falcula but is now recognized as a separate species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 14 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Kansas, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Colorado, Washington, Idaho, North Dakota, Minnesota.
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
Is the parallel dagger the same as Acronicta falcula?
It used to be treated as the same species, but it was reinstated as a valid, separate species in 2011.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find the parallel dagger moth?
It occurs in North America, including the states of Colorado and Oklahoma.
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_parallela
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.