Long-winged Dagger
Acronicta longa (Guenée, 1852), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 931485
Host plants: Reported feeding on woody species within nine plant families. In Missouri, I have found these on oak (Quercus spp.) and ash (Fraxinus spp.).
Date found(s): 22 August, 2026
Location(s) found: Meramec State Park, Franklin County, MO
Notes: Despite a species being considered a generalist across their range, individual lineages can be wildly picky eaters. In a rearing log documented on BugGuide, a citizen scientist hatched a clutch of A. longa eggs. Despite being surrounded by prime, classic host plants like oak (Quercus nigra) and cherry (Prunus sp.), the newly hatched caterpillars stubbornly refused to eat and began to starve. In a desperate last-ditch effort, the researcher offered them blueberry leaves (Vaccinium sp.). The caterpillars immediately devoured them, proving that while the species is a generalist, individual populations may dynamically “lock into” specific regional hosts.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 