Hackberry Dagger

Hackberry Dagger

Acronicta rubricoma

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at New York City

In 3 days ~10%

5 Verified sightings at New York City
16 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Hackberry Dagger

Acronicta rubricoma, the ruddy dagger moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found from southern Ontario and New York to central Florida, west to Texas and east Kansas. The wingspan is 38–44 mm. Adults are on wing from April to October depending on the location. There are two generations per year.

The larvae feed on elm, hackberry and sumac. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
4 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Houston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Hackberry Dagger in New York City?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hackberry Dagger sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1492nd most-seen of the 1623 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Hackberry Dagger in New York City?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hackberry Dagger in New York City on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

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

Between 9 am and noon

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

Is New York City the best place to see a Hackberry Dagger?

7th of 7

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Hackberry Dagger sightings, New York City ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 10%), San Antonio (United States, about 10%) and Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, under 5%).

Where does the Hackberry Dagger sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Hackberry Dagger is recorded against all the insects logged in New York City (5 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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