Page 595 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Noctuidae
DISTRIBUTION Europe, excluding United Kingdom, into Asia, east to
western Siberia
HABITAT Scrubby grasslands, clearings in woodlands, and dry forest fringes
HOST PLANTS Various, including Heather (Calluna vulgaris), Rubus spp.,
oak (Quercus spp.), and Vaccinium spp.
NOTE Black caterpillar that has tufts of brightly colored hairs
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but locally rare

ADULT WINGSPAN
1 ⁄ –1⅝ in (36–42 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1 ⁄ in (40 mm)
ACRONICTA AURICOMA
SCARCE DAGGER 593

(DENNIS & SCHIFFERMÜLLER, 1775)

The Scarce Dagger is a distinctive caterpillar that is seen in
a wide range of wooded habitats over spring and summer,
although populations are declining in many areas as a result of
increased urbanization. There are two generations a year, with
the adult moths on the wing from April to June and then again in
July to August. The pupae of the second generation overwinter,
either on the host plant or in the leaf litter below it.

Like most caterpillars within the genus Acronicta, the Scarce
Dagger has brightly colored hairs that deter predators. In some
parts of its range, the caterpillar is considered a pest as it feeds on
the leaves of economically valuable plants such as bilberries. The
adult, a former resident but now rare immigrant in the United
Kingdom, is one of a number of so-called “dagger moths”
within Acronicta, named for the black, dagger-shaped markings
on the upper side of the moth’s forewing. The Scarce Dagger caterpillar has a black head
and dark brown to black body. Each segment has
a ring of prominent tubercles, all of which bear
tufts of long hairs; some are black, while others
are orange in color.

Actual size