Marsh dagger
Acronicta insularis
The marsh dagger is a moth from North America that likes wet places. Its caterpillar has its own name, the cattail caterpillar, because it loves to eat cattails. The moths fly from spring until early autumn.
Lives in
The United States and southern Canada, from coast to coast
Wingspan
3.5 to 4 cm (1.4 to 1.6 in)
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It cannot bite or sting.
What does it eat?
Its caterpillars eat cattails, knotweed, grasses and sedges, and also poplar and willow leaves.
How big is it?
How wide are its wings?
🍚wings as wide as 7 grains of rice in a row⚽could fly across a whole football pitch in 27 seconds
How big is Marsh dagger compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
Marsh dagger about 14 km/h (8.7 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
The grown up moth is also called Henry's marsh moth.
2
The moths can be seen from April to September.
3
It used to belong to a different group of moths, but scientists moved it in 2015.
you asked
Most asked questions about Marsh dagger
?What does the cattail caterpillar eat?
Mostly cattails, but also grasses, sedges, knotweed, poplar and willow.
?Where does the marsh dagger live?
All across the United States and southern Canada.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Acronicta insularis
- Named by
- Herrich-Schäffer, 1868
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Noctuidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Noctuidae
- Lives on
- North America
- Also known as
- Henry's marsh moth, Cattail caterpillar
Where the facts come from
- Acronicta insularis (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 Benny Mazur from Toledo, OH. CC BY 2.0, 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.
Bug Wiki honey jar For grown-ups: Bug Wiki is free, with no ads and no tracking. A small tip helps keep it online.Leave a tip
Atlas moth
Luna moth
Hummingbird hawk-moth
Domestic silk moth
Isabella tiger moth
Polyphemus moth
Azure bluet
Lateral-lined water beetle
Australian water scorpion
Alligatorweed flea beetle
Filigree skimmer
Band-winged meadowhawk