Bug FAQRadcliffe's Dagger
Acronicta radcliffei · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Radcliffe's Dagger Moth
Radcliffe's dagger moth has a wingspan of about 36 to 38 mm. It lives in eastern and southern parts of North America and flies from May through August. The caterpillars feed on a variety of trees and shrubs such as ash, birch, elm and willow.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Acronicta radcliffei belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan measures roughly 36 to 38 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from May to August, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes eastern and southern North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Oregon, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, Illinois.
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 Radcliffe's dagger moths?
Adults are active from May through August, varying by region.
Source: Wikipedia
What trees do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on ash, birch, elm, willow and several other hardwoods.
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_radcliffei
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.