Bug FAQPleasant Dagger
Acronicta laetifica · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Pleasant Dagger Moth
The pleasant dagger moth has a wingspan of about 37 to 43 mm. It lives across North America from Nova Scotia down to Florida, west to Texas and north to Manitoba.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 37 mm to 43 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on hickory trees (Carya species).
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
In the south there are two or more generations per year, while the north typically has one.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May through July in Ohio and from April through October in the southern range.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 31 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Mississippi, Ohio, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Vermont, Florida.
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 can I see adult pleasant dagger moths?
In Ohio they appear from May to July; farther south they can be seen from April to October.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on hickory trees, specifically species of the genus Carya.
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_laetifica
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.