Bug FAQTriton and Delightful Daggers and Allies
Acronicta tritona · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Triton Dagger, Triton Dagger Moth
The adult has a wingspan of about 35 to 40 mm. The caterpillars feed on plants such as Helonias bullata and various Vaccinium species, including Oxycoccos and Vaccinium stamineum.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 35 to 40 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat Helonias bullata and Vaccinium plants, including Oxycoccos species and Vaccinium stamineum.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New Jersey, Alabama, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Massachusetts.
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
How large is the Triton and Delightful Daggers and Allies moth?
The adult’s wingspan is about 35 to 40 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
They feed on Helonias bullata and several Vaccinium species, such as Oxycoccos and Vaccinium stamineum.
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_tritona
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.