Bug FAQOchre Dagger
Acronicta morula · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Ochre Dagger Moth
Source: Wikipedia
The ochre dagger moth has a wingspan of about 40 to 50 mm. Adults fly from April through September, producing two or more generations depending on location. Its caterpillars eat the leaves of elm, basswood, apple and hawthorn, potentially harming those trees and garden plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Acronicta morula, called the ochre dagger moth, belongs to the Noctuidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 40 to 50 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae feed on the leaves of elm, basswood, apple and hawthorn species.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults can be seen from April through September, with multiple generations in many areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes parts of Canada and the United States from Saskatchewan eastward to Nova Scotia, south to Florida, and west to Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 36 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Vermont, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New York, Tennessee.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on the leaves of elm, basswood, apple and hawthorn.
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_morula
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.