About Acronicta americana Harris, 1841
Scientific name: Acronicta americana Harris, 1841. Description: The American dagger moth has a wingspan ranging from 50 to 65 mm, equal to 2.0 to 2.6 inches. It typically has a sharp, double postmedian line, with white coloring between the two lines. A black dash appears on the anal area of the forewing. In males, the hindwing is gray with a faint, darker gray median line. Females are similar to males except that their hindwing is completely dark. Distribution: This moth is found in North America east of the Rocky Mountains. Habitat: It occurs in deciduous woodlands and forests. Life cycle: Young caterpillars are densely covered with yellow setae. Older caterpillars have setae that are either pale yellow or white. All instars have thin black setae on the first and third abdominal segments, and one tuft of black setae on the eighth abdominal segment. Fully grown caterpillars reach a length of 50 mm, equal to 2.0 inches. Although there are many reports that the larval hairs of this species sometimes cause skin irritation in humans, there is no evidence that these hairs contain any type of venom.
