Bug FAQPowdered Dagger and Allies
Acronicta impleta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Powdered Dagger, Yellow-haired Dagger, Yellow-haired Dagger Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The yellow-haired dagger moth has a wingspan of about 42 mm. Adults are active from April through July, depending on where they live. It occurs across most of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Acronicta impleta, known as the yellow-haired dagger moth, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures roughly 42 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The species is found throughout most of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on the leaves of elm, maple, birch, willow and oak trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from April to July, varying by location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight season runs from spring into early summer, roughly April through July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to much of North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 45 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Mississippi, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars eat?
They munch on leaves of elm, maple, birch, willow and oak species.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see the adult moths?
Adults fly from April through July, depending on the region.
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_impleta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.