Acronicta oblinita
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Acronicta oblinita, the smeared dagger moth or arioch dagger, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. Its larva, the smartweed caterpillar, has urticating hairs. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797.
The smeared dagger moth adult has a wingspan of 3.6–5.4 centimetres (1.4–2.1 in). The forewings have a mottled gray appearance, with orbicular and reniform spots on each dorsal surface that are incompletely outlined and indistinct. Smeared-appearing dark wedge spots are present along the postmedial line with their apices pointed inward. There is a terminal line of dark spots on the forewing. The hindwings are white and also have small dark spots along their terminal line.
The larva is a caterpillar up to 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long that bears numerous tufts of irritating setae on wart-like protuberances along its thoracic and abdominal segments. There are bright yellow blotches in the shape of carets (inverted "V" shapes) between the laterally-positioned spiracles.
The smeared dagger moth is found across Canada as far north as Lake Athabasca. In the United States, the moth is found in the Pacific Northwest and east of the Rocky Mountains... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Smeared Dagger sighting in Point Pelee National Park on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 32nd most-seen of the 196 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Smeared Dagger in Point Pelee National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to May, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Smeared 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.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Smeared Dagger sightings, Point Pelee National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 10%) and Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Canada, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Smeared Dagger is recorded against all the insects logged in Point Pelee National Park (34 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
