Large gray dagger
Acronicta insita
The large gray dagger is a grey moth that lives across much of North America. Its caterpillar is very hairy. Those hairs look soft, but they can give you an itchy rash.
Lives in
Canada and the northern USA, from Newfoundland to the Pacific coast, south to North Carolina and Colorado
Wingspan
4.5 to 5.5 cm (1.8 to 2.2 in)
Can it hurt you?
Has stinging hairs
The caterpillar's hairs hold a toxin that can cause an itchy rash for up to a week. Never touch the hairy caterpillar, and tell a grown-up if you get a rash.
What does it eat?
Its caterpillars eat leaves of alder, birch, poplar, hawthorn and willow.
How big is it?
How wide are its wings?
🧱wings as wide as 1.5 toy building bricks⚽could fly across a whole football pitch in 24 seconds
How big is Large gray dagger compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
Large gray dagger about 16 km/h (9.9 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
A car driving in town about 50 km/h (31 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
The caterpillar's fine hairs are hollow, with a toxin inside.
2
The rash can spread to other parts of the body if clothes rub on it or you scratch it.
3
The moths fly from May to July, with just one family each year.
you asked
Most asked questions about Large gray dagger
?Is the large gray dagger caterpillar dangerous?
Its hairs can cause an itchy rash that lasts up to a week, so do not touch it.
?What does the large gray dagger eat?
Its caterpillars eat alder, birch, poplar, hawthorn and willow leaves.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Acronicta insita
- Named by
- Grote, 1874
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Noctuidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Noctuidae
- Lives on
- North America
- Also known as
- Fingered dagger
Where the facts come from
- Acronicta insita (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by brentnmoran Depicted place: Skagit County, WA, USA ( 48°31′25″N 122°11′42″W / 48.5234903825°N 122.194970548°W / 48.5234903825; -122.194970548 ). CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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