Marsh Dagger

Marsh Dagger

Acronicta insularis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

7 Verified sightings at Minneapolis [Saint Paul]
12 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Marsh Dagger

Acronicta insularis, the cattail caterpillar (when referring to the larva) or Henry's marsh moth (when referring to the adult), is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer in 1868. It is found from coast to coast throughout the United States and southern Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba).

The wingspan is 35–40 mm. Adults are on wing from April to September. The larvae feed on Typha and Polygonum species, as well as various grasses and sedges, poplar and willow. Acronicta insularis was formerly called Simyra insularis. In 2015, the genus Simyra, along with Oxicesta and Eogena, were moved to Acronicta based on phylogenetic analysis.

The MONA or Hodges number for Acronicta insularis is 9280. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
2 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
3 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
<5%
7 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Marsh Dagger in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Marsh Dagger sighting in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 503rd most-seen of the 672 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Marsh Dagger in Minneapolis [Saint Paul]?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Marsh Dagger in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Marsh Dagger?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Marsh Dagger sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Minneapolis [Saint Paul] the best place to see a Marsh Dagger?

Yes

Of the 11 cities where we can rate Marsh Dagger sightings, Minneapolis [Saint Paul] has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Dallas (United States, under 5%) and Chicago (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Marsh Dagger sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Marsh Dagger is recorded against all the insects logged in Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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