Acronicta americana
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Acronicta americana, the American dagger moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It was originally described by Thaddeus William Harris in 1841 and is native to North America. The American dagger moth has a wingspan of 50 to 65 mm (2.0 to 2.6 in) It usually has a sharp, double postmedian line, with white in between the two lines. There is a black dash on the anal area of the forewing. The hindwing is gray with a faint, darker gray median line in the male.
The female is similar, except the hindwing is completely dark. Acronicta americana americana Acronicta americana obscura Acronicta americana eldora The American dagger moth is found in North America east of the Rocky Mountains.
The American dagger moth can be seen from April to September throughout its range. Caterpillars can be seen from July to October. It has one brood in the north and two to three broods in the south. The American dagger moth is found in deciduous woodlands and forests.
The young caterpillar is densely covered with yellow setae. The older caterpillar's setae are either pale yellow or white. All instars have... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Dagger sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 37 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 96th most-seen of the 723 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an American Dagger in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to July, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Dagger sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 4 parks where we can rate American Dagger sightings, Shenandoah National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Acadia National Park (United States, about 10%) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Dagger is recorded against all the insects logged in Shenandoah National Park (37 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.
