"What a thousand acres of Silphiums looked like when they tickled the bellies of the buffalo is a question never again to be answered, and perhaps not even asked." -Aldo Leopold
Brown-hooded Owlet Cucullia convexipennis (Grote & Robinson, 1868), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 931513 Host plants: Specialist hosting on goldenrod (Solidago spp.) and other Asteraceae family members. Date found(s): September 12, 2026 Location(s) found: Don Robinson State Park, Jefferson County, MO Notes: Due to the apparent lack of high concentrations of toxins in their hostplants that are sequestered by many lepidopterans for defense, the aposematic coloration exhibited by the brown-hooded owlet is potentially a case of Batesian mimicry. Although the specific model species has not been identified, caterpillars and other insects use yellow, black, red, and white color combinations to advertise their toxicity.
Afflicted Dagger Acronicta afflicta (Grote, 1864), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 931419.77 Host plants: Feeds principally on oaks (Quercus spp.). Also reported on gum trees (Nyssa spp.). Date found(s): September 17, 2026 Location(s) found: St. Louis County, MO Notes: A visually similar and closely related species, Acronicta brumosa (charred dagger), has a single record (1913) from Missouri in the Heitzman database. The charred dagger is a more southerly species but does have more modern records from Arkansas, Oklahoma and southern Illinois. Larvae of the charred dagger can be distinguished from A. afflicta by the presence of two pairs of paddle-shaped dorsal setae per segment.
Turbulent Phosphila Phosphila turbulenta (Hübner, 1818), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 932208 Host plants: Feeds only on greenbrier (Smilax spp.) Date found(s): September 7, 2026 Location(s) found: Franklin County, MO Notes: Despite their apparent warning coloration and their conspicuous nature of often feeding on top of their host’s leaves in broad daylight, it is unknown if turbulent phosphila caterpillars are protected from predators via chemical sequestration. They may simply be mimics, taking advantage of predator’s avoidance of black and white prey animals.
I found the group of gregarious early instars in southern Minnesota in June. Many thanks to Eva Wiedeman for finding and letting me photograph the later instar pictured here.
Dusky Groundling Condica vecors (Guenée, 1852), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 931995 Host plants: Hosts on a variety of Asteraceae family members, seemingly especially fond of boneset (Eupatorium spp.). Date found(s): September 7, 2026 Location(s) found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO Notes: Caterpillars of this species spend their days blending in on the undersides of their host leaves. They are much more active and more easily found feeding at night.
Yellowhorns Colocasia flavicornis (Smith, 1884) P-no. 931400; Colocasia propinquilinea (Grote, 1873) P-no. 931401; fam. Noctuidae Host plants: In Missouri, I have found these on river birch (Betula nigra) and ironwood (Carpinus caroliniana). They have been recorded on other woody species, including oak, walnut, and elm. Date found(s): September 7, 2026 Location(s) found: Ste Genevieve County, MO Notes: The first couple of times I found Colocasia caterpillars I was confused. At first glance, these look to be young, weird versions of a Halysidota or other tufted caterpillars. Pay close attention to lash placement to distinguish these from other fuzzy potentials.
Pleasant Dagger Acronicta laetifica (Smith, 1897), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 931444 Host plants: Feeds solely on woody members of the Betulaceae family, namely musclewood (Carpinus caroliniana) and ironwood (Ostrya virginiana). Date found(s): September 4, 2026 Location(s) found: Hawn State Park, Ste Genevieve County, MO Notes: Host plant preferences for the pleasant dagger are not as cut and dry as many of our lepidopterans. Some authoritative sources, particularly historical references, list either hickory (Carya) or woody Rosaceae members as hosts. However, modern surveys have only found this species utilizing the above-mentioned members of the Betulaceae as hosts. It is unclear whether these discrepancies are related to changes in host preferences, or if previous documentation may refer to incorrectly identifying the moth species.
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.
Green Leuconycta Leuconycta diphteroides (Guenée, 1852), fam. Noctuidae, P-no. 932026 Host plant (s): Hosts on a variety of Asteraceae family members including fleabane (Erigeron spp) and goldenrod (Solidago spp). Date found(s): 28 June, 2026 Location(s) found: Pinewoods Lake Recreation Area, Carter County, MO Notes: Due to its host plant preferences, look for this moth in meadows, fields and prairies. If you plant native composite wildflowers, you may even have luck in finding them in your own backyard. The adult moth is a stunner and is often a popular subject when arriving at blacklights. It has received a common nickname in mothing circles—the “mint chocolate chip moth.”
Witch Hazel Dagger Moth Acronicta hamamelis (Guenée, 1852) P-no. 931434.5 Host plant: Found on Ozark witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis) Date found: 15–16 August, 2026 Location found: Logger’s Lake Recreation Area, Shannon County, MO Notes: The WGNSS Entomology and Nature Photography groups had a great joint overnight trip to Logger’s Lake this past weekend. Obviously, among the several entomofauna groups we focused on, caterpillars were high on our list. The species pictured here was one of our most exciting finds. During my studies of field guides and online sources to determine new caterpillar species to look for, the witch hazel dagger moth caught my attention. Southeastern Missouri has plenty of its obligate host plant afterall. However, after looking on iNaturalist a couple of years ago, I discovered there were no documentations of this species in our state. Checking with the Heitzman catalogue, I found that there was only one recorded observation in Missouri—from 1889! I still kept this species in mind; there were a few documentations in Arkansas and eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and as I mentioned, the host is abundant in Missouri.
During our caterpillar hikes this past weekend, we were delighted to find seven Acronicta hamamelis larvae at various stages. I collected a couple to take home and hopefully rear to adults. The more advanced individual spent the next day feeding on my ozark witch hazel and then changed to its warm pre-pupal coloration. It has since made a cocoon and I hope to see an adult eventually.
Distinct Quaker Achatia distincta (Hübner, 1813) P-no. 932800, fam. Noctuidae Host plant: Found on Carolina buckthorn (Frangula caroliniana) Dates found: 24 May, 2026 Locations found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO Notes: This common noctuid larvae can be found in April and May. This is a univoltine species, and the adults are early fliers. This species spends most of its life cycle in the cocoon.
