Acronicta

Acronicta
Grey Dagger, Acronicta psi Note the typical "dagger" marks
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Noctuidae
Subfamily:	Acronictinae
Genus:	Acronicta Ochsenheimer, 1816
Type species
Phalaena leporina Linnaeus, 1758
Diversity
About 150 species
Synonyms
Acronycta Treitschke, 1825 (unjustified emendation) Acronyctia Meigen, 1813 (lapsus) Apatela Stephens, 1829 (lapsus) Apatelae Ochsenheimer, 1816 (unavailable) Apatele Hübner, [1806] (suppressed) Apatele Hübner, [1808] (suppressed) Apatele Hübner, [1818] (unavailable) Apatele Hübner, 1822 Aneuviminia Beck, 1966 Arctomyscis Hübner, 1820 Chamaepora Warren, 1909 Cometa Sodoffsky, 1837 Cuspidia Chapman, 1890 Euviminia Beck, 1966 Hyboma Hübner, 1827 Hylonycta Sugi, 1979 Jocheaera Hübner, 1827 Lepitoreuma Grote, 1873 Mastiphanes Grote, 1882 Megacronycta Grote, 1873 Microcoelia Guenée, 1852 Molybdonycta Sugi, 1979 Paraviminia Beck, 1966 Pharetra Hübner, [1827] 1816 (non Bolten, 1798: preoccupied) Philorgyia Grote, 1896 Plataplectra Butler, 1878 Pseudopunda Butler, 1890 Semaphora Guenée, 1814 Sematophora Agassiz, [1848] (unjustified emendation) Subacronicta Kozhanchikov, 1950 Triaena Hübner, 1827 Tricholonche Grote, 1896 Viminia Chapman, 1890

Acronicta is a genus of noctuid moths containing about 150 species distributed mainly in the temperate Holarctic, with some in adjacent subtropical regions. Caterpillars of most Acronicta species are unmistakable, with brightly colored hairy spikes, and often feed quite visibly on common foliate trees. The larva of the Smeared Dagger Moth (A. oblinita) is unusually hairy even for this genus [1]. Acronicta species are generally known as dagger moths, as most have one or more black dagger-shaped markings on their forewing uppersides. But some species have a conspicuous dark ring marking instead.

Eyes naked and without eyelashes. Proboscis fully developed. Antennae simple in both sexes. Thorax and abdomen tuftless. Abdomen with long coarse hair on the dorsal part of proximal segments. Legs spineless. Fore wings with non-crenulate cilia. Inner margin slightly lobed towards base.

The following species are classified in the genus.

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Wikipedia