Acronicta hasta

(Redirected from Cherry dagger moth)

Acronicta hasta, the forked dagger moth, speared dagger moth, cherry dagger moth or dart dagger moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. It is found in North America in the eastern deciduous woodlands, ranging west across southern Saskatchewan and Alberta into central southern British Columbia, south to Tennessee, Wisconsin and Kansas.

Acronicta hasta
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Genus: Acronicta
Species:
A. hasta
Binomial name
Acronicta hasta
Guenée, 1852
Synonyms
  • Acronicta furcifera Guenée, 1852

Acronicta furcifera was considered a separate species until 1998, but is now considered a synonym.

The wingspan is 35–45 mm. Adults are on wing from April to September depending on the location. There are two or more generations per year in the south and one or two in the north.

The larvae feed on cherry, oak and plum.

Subspecies

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  • Acronicta hasta hasta
  • Acronicta hasta telum
  • Acronicta hasta manitoba (Western Canada)
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  • Anweiler, G. G. (2007). "Species Details Acronicta hasta". University of Alberta Museums. E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  • Bartlett, Troy (January 10, 2020). "Species Acronicta hasta - Speared Dagger Moth - Hodges#9229". BugGuide. Retrieved October 20, 2020.