Acronicta

Acronicta is a genus of noctuid moths containing about 150 species distributed mainly in the temperate Holarctic, with some in adjacent subtropical regions. The genus was erected by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. Caterpillars of most Acronicta species are unmistakable, with brightly colored hairy spikes, and often feed quite visibly on common foliate trees. The hairy spikes may contain poison, which cause itchy, painful, swollen rash in humans on contact. The larva of the smeared dagger moth (A. oblinita) is unusually hairy even for this genus. 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.

Acronicta
Grey dagger, Acronicta psi
Note the typical "dagger" marks
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Noctuidae
Subfamily: Acronictinae
Genus: Acronicta
Ochsenheimer, 1816[1]
Type species
Phalaena leporina
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
  • Eulonche Grote, 1873
  • 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
  • Plataplecta Butler, 1878
  • Pseudepunda Butler, 1890
  • Semaphora Guenée, 1841
  • Sematophora Agassiz, [1848]
    (unjustified emendation)
  • Subacronicta Kozhanchikov, 1950
  • Triaena Hübner, 1827
  • Tricholonche Grote, 1896
  • Viminia Chapman, 1890
A. radcliffei caterpillar
A. radcliffei pupa

Description

Its eyes are naked and without eyelashes. The proboscis is fully developed. Antennae are simple in both sexes. Thorax and abdomen tuftless. Abdomen with long coarse hair on the dorsal part of proximal segments. Legs spineless. Forewings with non-crenulate cilia. Inner margin slightly lobed towards base.[2]

Species

The following species are classified in the genus.[3]

References

  1. Ochsenheimer (1816). Die Schmetterlinge von Europa 4: 62.
  2. Hampson, G. F. (1894). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume II. Taylor and Francis via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  3. Savela, Markku. "Acronicta Ochsenheimer, 1816". Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  4. Linnaeus (1758). Systema Naturae (Edn 10) 1: 510-516.
  5. Linnaeus (1767). Systema Naturae (Edn 12) 1(2): 845.
  6. [Schiffermüller] (1775). Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend pp. 67-88
  7. Hufnagel (1766). Berlin. Magazin. 3(4): 416.
  8. Hübner ([1813]). Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge [4]: pl. 108 (1809-1813), fig. 504
  9. Zootaxa 1910: 45.
  10. Matsumura (1926). Insecta Matsumurana 1: 3, pl. 1, fig. 2.
  11. Mann (1862). Wiener Entomologische Monatschrift 6: 370, pl. 3, fig. 4.
  12. Guenée (1852). in Boisduval & Guenée. Histoire naturelle des insectes; spécies général des lépidoptères 5 (Noct. 1) p. 53.
  13. Walker (1862). Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society: Zoology 6: 178.
  14. Blanchard (1968). Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 22: 133-145.
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