Acronicta retardata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Acronicta retardata, the retarded dagger moth, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. A. retardata is found from Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Texas, north to Manitoba. The larvae feed on the leaves of red maple and sugar maple. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Maple Dagger sighting in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 447th most-seen of the 723 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Maple Dagger in Shenandoah National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to July, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Maple Dagger sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Maple Dagger sightings, Shenandoah National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Maple Dagger is recorded against all the insects logged in Shenandoah National Park (11 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.
