2025 October 7
Aziza Cooper writes: On October 7 this caterpillar was on the trail in East Sooke Park. Found by Ren Ferguson. Jeremy Tatum writes: This is the caterpillar of Acronicta insita looking for somewhere to pupate. Moths of the noctuid genus Acronicta are known as dagger moths, because of a dagger-like mark on their wings. This particular species was known, until a recent name-change, as A. dactylina. In fact,it’s not really a name-change. It was originally described and named as insita in 1856. Sometime later, it was presumably rediscovered and given the name dactylina . The rules of nomenclature specify that the original name must have priority (with rare exceptions), so insita is not so much a name-change as a reversion to the original name.
Acronicta insita (Lep.: Noctuidae) Aziza Cooper
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