American Dagger (Acronicta americana)
(c) Ilona L, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA) · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
Butterflies and mothsIn Athens County, Ohio

American Dagger

Acronicta americana Harris, 1841

American Dagger in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Family
Noctuidae
Near Athens County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 4 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (13)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (63)
  • Recorded, season not shown (8)
  • Season shown (4)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Show as a table
Counties as a table
American Dagger by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecords
Adams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Allen CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ashland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ashtabula CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Athens County36 · Recorded, season not shown
Auglaize CountyNo qualifying records yet
Belmont CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Brown CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Butler CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Carroll CountyNo qualifying records yet
Champaign CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Clark CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Clermont County24 · Recorded, season not shown
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Coshocton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Crawford CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Cuyahoga County63 · Season shown
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Defiance CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Delaware CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Erie CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Fayette CountyNo qualifying records yet
Franklin County74 · Recorded, season not shown
Fulton CountyNo qualifying records yet
Gallia CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Geauga CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Greene County22 · Recorded, season not shown
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hamilton County63 · Season shown
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hardin CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Henry CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Highland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hocking County34 · Recorded, season not shown
Holmes CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Huron CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Jackson CountyNo qualifying records yet
Jefferson CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Knox CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lake CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lawrence CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Licking CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Logan CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lorain County20 · Recorded, season not shown
Lucas County51 · Recorded, season not shown
Madison CountyNo qualifying records yet
Mahoning CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Marion CountyNo qualifying records yet
Medina CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Meigs CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Mercer CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Miami CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Monroe CountyNo qualifying records yet
Montgomery CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Morgan CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Noble CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ottawa CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yet
Perry CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Pickaway CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Pike CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Portage County34 · Recorded, season not shown
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Putnam CountyNo qualifying records yet
Richland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ross CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Sandusky CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Scioto CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Seneca CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Shelby CountyNo qualifying records yet
Stark County47 · Season shown
Summit County72 · Season shown
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Union CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yet
Vinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Warren CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wayne CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wood CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wyandot CountyNo qualifying records yet

No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.

Season

When it is recorded

In Athens County

Not enough evidence

The weeks are still too uncertain to show a season. Based on 36 records in 8 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Athens County · records of all species each week, 51,499 in all

Records per week from 36 records in 8 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of American Dagger in Athens County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of American DaggerYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–100074
Jan 11–1700132
Jan 18–2400107
Jan 25–3100219
Feb 1–700392
Feb 8–1400232
Feb 15–2100235
Feb 22–2800361
Mar 1–700532
Mar 8–1400466
Mar 15–2100593
Mar 22–2800950
Mar 29 – Apr 4001,265
Apr 5–11001,616
Apr 12–18001,804
Apr 19–25001,926
Apr 26 – May 2002,291
May 3–9001,407
May 10–16001,408
May 17–23002,542
May 24–30001,821
May 31 – Jun 600798
Jun 7–1300775
Jun 14–2000830
Jun 21–2700700
Jun 28 – Jul 400549
Jul 5–1100664
Jul 12–1800869
Jul 19–2500700
Jul 26 – Aug 100673
Aug 2–821613
Aug 9–1511871
Aug 16–2221807
Aug 23–29111,289
Aug 30 – Sep 5432,925
Sep 6–12642,530
Sep 13–19432,417
Sep 20–26541,530
Sep 27 – Oct 3421,628
Oct 4–10331,836
Oct 11–17001,920
Oct 18–2422825
Oct 25–3111930
Nov 1–700881
Nov 8–1400846
Nov 15–2100573
Nov 22–2811536
Nov 29 – Dec 500270
Dec 6–1200982
Dec 13–1900158
Dec 20–2600106
Dec 27 – Jan 20095

Reported as an adult

Only 1 records here are marked as adults, too few to show a adult season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

Reported as a caterpillar

No caterpillar season shown here. The weeks are still too uncertain to show a season.

In Ohio

Mid-July to mid-October, middle week Aug 23–29

Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 1,164 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 544 dates. Latest record: December 2025.

Show as a table
Records of American Dagger in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of American DaggerYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10006,211
Jan 11–17005,146
Jan 18–24004,645
Jan 25–31004,698
Feb 1–7006,023
Feb 8–14005,888
Feb 15–21005,436
Feb 22–28006,846
Mar 1–7008,321
Mar 8–140010,384
Mar 15–210012,620
Mar 22–280013,949
Mar 29 – Apr 40019,661
Apr 5–110026,860
Apr 12–180039,925
Apr 19–250041,623
Apr 26 – May 20056,391
May 3–90052,952
May 10–160053,785
May 17–230057,698
May 24–302254,651
May 31 – Jun 60053,099
Jun 7–132253,700
Jun 14–204356,625
Jun 21–278555,361
Jun 28 – Jul 410558,477
Jul 5–117461,336
Jul 12–1815664,722
Jul 19–2560869,753
Jul 26 – Aug 1851059,416
Aug 2–81341059,712
Aug 9–151221055,994
Aug 16–2299954,328
Aug 23–291041051,772
Aug 30 – Sep 51081057,167
Sep 6–1294959,075
Sep 13–1990954,543
Sep 20–2657845,860
Sep 27 – Oct 360843,180
Oct 4–1039737,841
Oct 11–1732730,824
Oct 18–2416721,156
Oct 25–317419,021
Nov 1–72114,172
Nov 8–142212,621
Nov 15–21117,965
Nov 22–28228,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5116,083
Dec 6–12006,004
Dec 13–19005,423
Dec 20–26115,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2008,459

Reported as an adult

Usually reported as an adult early June to mid-August, middle week Jul 12–18.

From 50 records that are marked as adults. Not every photo is marked with a life stage, so this shows when people reported it as an adult, not when adults are about.

Reported as a caterpillar

Usually reported as a caterpillar mid-July to mid-October, middle week Aug 23–29.

From 1,111 records that are marked as caterpillars. Not every photo is marked with a life stage, so this shows when people reported it as a caterpillar, not when caterpillars are about.

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Telling it apart

From what Ohio’s records show. Only what the records support is shown.

Often confused with

  • Cottonwood Dagger Acronicta lepusculinaOften confused in Ohio: 29 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Banded Tussock Moth Halysidota tessellarisOften confused in Ohio: 25 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Spotted Apatelodes Moth Apatelodes torrefacta121 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Hickory Tussock Moth Lophocampa caryae103 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Hackberry Dagger Acronicta rubricoma99 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

When each is reported

  • All recordsUsually mid-July to mid-October, middle week late August · 1,164 records
  • Reported as an adultUsually early June to mid-August, middle week mid-July · 50 records

Not every photo is marked with a sex or a sign, so these show when people reported each, not when it happens.

Months not reported

  1. Jan: no record
  2. Feb: no record
  3. Mar: no record
  4. Apr: no record
  5. May: recorded
  6. Jun: recorded
  7. Jul: recorded
  8. Aug: recorded
  9. Sep: recorded
  10. Oct: recorded
  11. Nov: recorded
  12. Dec: recorded

Not reported in Ohio in January to April, 2016 to 2025.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed67%49%
Forest25%31%
Farmland5%11%
Wetland2%5%
Grassland and shrub0.4%0.9%
Open water0.1%3%

From 729 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Ohio result

1,164 records from 2 datasets.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.