About Acronicta auricoma (Denis & Schiffermüller), 1775
Acronicta auricoma, commonly known as the scarce dagger, is a moth species belonging to the family Noctuidae. This moth is distributed across most of the Palearctic realm, with specific regional patterns to its range. It is completely absent from the Iberian Peninsula. On the Italian Peninsula, its presence is largely restricted to the Alps and the Apennines, extending as far south as Calabria. On the Balkan Peninsula, its range reaches extreme northern Greece, with only small, isolated populations found in Central Greece. It is missing from most Mediterranean islands, with the only exception being the Balearic Islands. The species has been extinct in England since 1912. Outside these areas, it occurs across all of Europe, extending north of the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia. To the east, its distribution range extends through Russia and Siberia all the way to the Russian Far East; to the south it reaches Asia Minor, Cyprus, the Caucasus, northern Iran, Northern Iraq, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. The wingspan of Acronicta auricoma measures 36–42 mm. Its forewing is grey, marked with dark dusting; the base of the inner margin is pale ochreous. It has a short black basal streak, and a second black streak above the anal angle, both of which are often faint or obscured. Adult moths fly at night, with flight periods from May to June and from mid-July to August in the British Isles. The larvae feed on a variety of plants, including oak, Rubus, Calluna, and Vaccinium.
