Acronicta albarufa, barrens dagger moth
Meyer, Rachelle. 2008. Acronicta albarufa, barrens dagger moth. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://research.fs.usda.gov/feis/species-reviews/acal
| Abbreviation | Common Name | Scientific Name | Classification | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animals | ||||
| ACAL | barrens dagger moth | Acronicta albarufa | Life Form: Animals/Arthropod Kingdom: Animalia Class: Insect Order: Lepidoptera Family: Noctuidae Genus: Acronicta | Fed. Protected: No Nativity: Native Invasiveness: Noninvasive |
Taxonomy
Acronicta albarufa Grote is the scientific name of the barrens dagger moth, a member of the Noctuidae family [1].
Synonyms
- None
Other Common Names
None
General Distribution
Barrens dagger moth has a fragmented distribution that includes southern Ontario and Manitoba, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Colorado [1,9,10,11,14]. It may be extirpated from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, mainland New York, and New Mexico [10,14,15,16]. It has been suggested that populations in the southwestern United States may be a separate species [10,14]. No maps of barrens dagger moth distribution were available as of 2008.
Plant Communities
Barrens dagger moths generally occur in oak (Quercus spp.) or pine (Pinus spp.) barren communities. They are associated with pitch pine-bear oak (P. rigida-Q. ilicifolia) forest and oak scrub communities in New England and southeastern New York [12,14,16]. On Martha's Vineyard, they may be associated with frost-bottom communities (Goldstein 1994, cited in [11]). They have been observed in black oak-post oak (Q. velutina-Q. stellata) woodland in New Jersey and occur in an area of the Atlantic City International Airport that has been mowed every 1 to 2 years since the 1940s [14,16]. Barrens dagger moths occupy oak savannas and oak-hickory (Carya spp.) forests in the western and southern portions of their range [14]. Habitats currently or historically occupied by barrens dagger moths in Colorado and New Mexico have not been documented.
Biological Characteristics
A barrens dagger moth specimen from Otero County, New Mexico, where it is thought to be extirpated. (CC BY-NC 4.0)
The literature cited in this Species Review is almost entirely from reviews [11,14,16] and fact sheets [9,10]. The reviews include summaries of the response of rare moths and butterflies to management [11,16] and a NatureServe report on barrens dagger moth [14]. Much of the following information is stated without a clear source. It is likely based on surveys, personal communications, and other unpublished data. As of 2008, there was no published information containing primary data on barrens dagger moth life history characteristics, cover requirements, or response to fire.
The period in which adults emerge from cocoons extends over 2 months [10,11,14]. Adult barrens dagger moths are typically active from June to August [9,10] but have been documented from late May to September in New Jersey and Missouri [14]. Dagger moth species that occupy pine barrens can be found 1 to 2 miles (2-3 km) from suitable habitat, suggesting considerable dispersal potential [14].
Physical Description
Barrens dagger moths are nocturnal [10,14] and are typically just over an inch (3.0-3.5 cm) long [1].
Life Span and Mortality
No information was available on this topic as of 2008.
Development and Reproduction
Adults generally produce one brood [10,14]. However, in New Jersey and Missouri, eggs laid in mid-June may result in a partial second brood [14]. Eggs are laid in July or August [11] and typically take about 6 days to hatch [11,14]. Larvae are present for 4 to 5 weeks in late June to September or October [9,10,11,14]. If second-brood larvae occur, it may take 8 to 10 weeks for these individuals to begin pupation [14]. Pupae are present in fall, winter, and spring [9,10,11,14]. Barrens dagger moth may pupate in a flimsy cocoon in soil [11], although the precise location(s) of pupae is uncertain [14]. Pupae do not seem to overwinter more than once [14].
Habitat
Barrens dagger moth habitat is often described as sandy, xeric, and open oak-dominated communities [9,10,11,14,16]. See Plant Communities for information on cover types occupied. Rare moths that occur in pitch pine-bear oak communities, including barrens dagger moth, were associated with early successional habitat patches in southeastern Massachusetts [3]. Barrens dagger moths have not been documented in most potential habitat, despite being relatively easy to detect (see Other Management Considerations: Sampling) [14]. More detailed studies on barrens dagger moth habitat requirements are needed [10,11,14].
Landscape-scale characteristics may have greater influence on barren dagger moth habitat quality than patch- or plot-level characteristics [3]. Patches of remnant habitat occupied by barrens dagger moths are typically larger than 2,000 acres (1,000 ha) [10,14]. In models based on surveys of rare moths in a pitch pine-bear oak community in southeastern Massachusetts, barrens dagger moth was positively associated with landscapes with a high percentage of open-canopy oak scrub [3] and negatively associated (P=0.03) with mixed hardwood-conifer forest without pitch pine at the 1,120-acre (450 ha) scale. At a smaller scale (17 acres (7 ha)), barrens dagger moth was negatively associated (P=0.02) with the dispersion and interspersion of cover types [2]. Connectivity of habitat did not appear important in this study area, but connectivity was generally low [3].
Diet
Bear oak, and possibly other oaks, are the host plants for barrens dagger moth larvae [3,9,11,14,16]. According to a fact sheet published by the New York Natural Heritage Program, larvae feed on bur oak (Q. macrocarpa), post oak, chestnut oak (Q. prinus), and probably black oak, and adults likely eat honeydew from sucking insects and tree sap [10]. According to the NatureServe review, larvae have been observed on post oak and dwarf chinkapin oak (Q. prinoides). Barrens dagger moths were successfully raised on black oak in captivity, but they rejected blackjack oak (Q. marilandica). Bur oak is the only oak within the Manitoba range of barrens dagger moth [14].
Cover Requirements
As of 2008, no information was available on the cover requirements of any barrens dagger moth life stage.
Direct Fire Effects
Barrens dagger moths may be susceptible to fire-caused mortality in every life stage. The vulnerability of pupae depends partly on whether they occur in the soil and at what depth. Larvae are likely vulnerable due to their slow movement and occurrence on above ground vegetation. The susceptibility of adults to fire-caused mortality would depend on their mobility, which had not been documented in the literature as of 2008. Microsite conditions [13] and fire severity would likely influence the extent of fire-caused mortality of all barrens dagger moth life stages. Given the lack of information on the vulnerability of each life stage, it is not surprising that there are conflicting recommendations regarding when to burn. A fact sheet on barrens dagger moths in New York suggests that prescribed burning not occur during reproductive or larval periods, from 1 June to 1 October [10]. In contrast, review of barrens dagger moth life history and effects of fire on a pitch pine-scrub oak community in southeastern Massachusetts led Williams and others [11] to suggest that naturally occurring summer fires are likely to have less impact than spring or fall fires. They also conclude that fire at any time of year would likely have negative immediate impacts on barrens dagger moth. Extensive, continuous fires would likely result in greater mortality and slower recolonization of burned areas than small or patchy fires. Because they typically produce only one brood a year (see Development and Reproduction), barrens dagger moths may have limited potential to recolonize burned areas [11]. For a discussion of factors to consider when evaluating the impact of fire on invertebrates, such as motility and phenology, see the review by Lyons and others [8].
Indirect Fire Effects
As of 2008, there was very little information on the indirect effects of fire on barrens dagger moth. See FEIS reviews for information on the effects of fire on larval hosts such as bear oak.
Research is needed on the effects of fire frequency, severity, timing, and continuity on barrens dagger moth habitat quality [10,14,16]. At least some communities occupied by barrens dagger moths, including pine barrens and scrub oak thickets, are maintained by fire [10,14,16]. Succession of pine barren-oak scrub to shade-tolerant hardwood species would result in a loss of barrens dagger moth habitat [16]. It is possible that burns with sprouting oaks provide quality barrens dagger moth habitat, but there are no data to support this [11,14]. Prescribed fire could be used in combination with thinning and mowing (See Other Management Information: Habitat management) to maintain the mosaic habitat structure recommended for rare moths of the eastern United States [3,16].
Fire Regimes
The fire-return intervals in barrens dagger moth habitat are affected by several factors, including edaphic conditions and anthropogenic influences [16]. A review suggests that presettlement fires in these communities generally occurred in summer [11]. Typical barrens dagger moth communities experience low-severity fire more frequently than high-severity fire (see the Table A1: Fire Regime Table). More detailed information on the fire regimes of these cover types is available in the FEIS reviews of bear oak and pitch pine.
Table A1 provides fire regime information that may be relevant to barrens dagger moth habitats. Habitats that may be occupied in the Southwest are not included.
For additional fire regime information, search FEIS for this species by entering the species name on the Advanced Search page and selecting “Fire Regime” as the publication type.
Fire Management Considerations
Barrens dagger moth habitat requirements are not well understood [10,11,14], and more research is needed to determine management activities that could create, improve, or maintain it. Prescribed fires have been recommended to maintain some communities, such as pitch pine-bear oak barrens, that are occupied by barrens dagger moth [10,14,16]. Recommendations for minimizing barrens dagger moth mortality and increasing recolonization of treated areas include limiting burned areas, providing unburned refugia [14,16], and burning in patches so that the entire area occupied by a population is not burned within a 3-year period [10,11]. In addition to likely reductions in mortality, unburned refugia provide a source for recolonization of burned areas. Frequency of fire in barrens dagger moth habitat is variable (see Fire Regimes). Fire return-intervals of about 5 years have been suggested based on response of vegetation to experimental fire on Martha's Vineyard [11], and intervals of 20 to 50 years were suggested in the NatureServe review [14] for forests in New Jersey and northward. Monitoring of barrens dagger moths and their habitat can provide much needed information on responses to fire and other habitat management techniques [11].
Preserving large patches of pine barrens communities may make it easier to mimic natural disturbance patterns [5,16] and help conserve the large areas of habitat required by barrens dagger moths (see Habitat).
Federal Status
None
Other Status
Information on state- and province-level protection status of barrens dagger moth in the United States and Canada is available at NatureServe, although recent changes in status may not be included.
Other Management Information
Population trends: Barrens dagger moths are most abundant in the Ozarks [14] and are comparatively rare in the eastern portion of their range [3,12,14]. Populations likely experienced some decline, although the extent is uncertain due to a lack of historical information. The decline in barrens dagger moth populations has apparently slowed or ceased since the 1990s [14]. See the Schweitzer's [14] review for more detailed information on the conservation status of barrens dagger moth.
Threats: Threats to the persistence of barrens dagger moths include habitat loss, fire suppression, extensive fires, high levels of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) browsing, introduced species, insecticides, off-road vehicles, and light pollution [9,10,14,16]. Introduced species that may negatively impact barrens dagger moth are gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar) and parasitoids such as compsilura (Compsilura concinnata) [9,10]. Spraying for mosquitoes (Culicidae) and gypsy moths could negatively impact barrens dagger moth. Since it is not as persistent as other insecticides, use of the insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki in spring is recommended if severe defoliation by gypsy moths appears imminent. White-tailed deer damage may have contributed to the extirpation of the barrens dagger moth population at Pinery Park, Ontario [14]. For information on the potential impacts of fire on barrens dagger moth, see Fire Ecology and Management.
Sampling: Barrens dagger moths are attracted to blacklights and in some areas will come to bait [14].
Habitat management: The following information is based on the general habitat requirements of barrens dagger moths and responses of vegetation and pine barren moths to habitat management. These comparisons are speculative, and responses of barrens dagger moth to various habitat management techniques were uncertain based on data available as of 2008 [10,11,14,16].
Protecting barrens dagger moth habitat is a high priority. Currently occupied habitat is important to the long-term persistence of barrens dagger moth populations [11]. The preservation of large patches of pitch pine-oak scrub vegetation is also recommended, since barrens dagger moths are associated with large habitat patches that are disturbance dependent [16] (see Fire Regimes).
A habitat mosaic that varies in space and time and consists of patches ranging from bare sand to oak scrub thickets and closed-canopy pitch pine-oak forests will likely help support various life stages and species of moths [11,16]. Modeling of rare pine barren moth habitat requirements based on survey data from southeastern Massachusetts led to the recommendation that a range of successional stages be maintained and that management treatments focus on areas of about 69 to 279 acres (28-113 ha) [3].
Mowing, prescribed burning (see Fire Ecology and Management), thinning, and potentially grazing can help maintain vegetation used by barrens dagger moths and assist in maintaining a habitat mosaic. Barrens dagger moths occur in an area of the Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey that has been mowed every 1 to 2 winters since the 1940s [14,16]. Since it could result in the removal of oak scrub, mowing more than once a year would likely be detrimental [11,16]. Mowing in the summer may have negative initial results [11]. Thinning of pitch pine could benefit barrens dagger moth, since oak scrub cover would likely increase. Thinning of oaks to savanna may also benefit barrens dagger moth due to increases in oak scrub and maintenance of overstory oaks [11]. In the current landscape, cutting of vegetation followed by prescribed burning may be needed to maintain habitat structure and mimic high-severity summer fires [16]. Grazing may benefit barrens dagger moth habitat due to sprouting oak scrub. However, grazing multiple times a year would likely negatively impact barrens dagger moth habitat. In addition, grazing can introduce nonnative species [11], and the impacts of grazing in oak scrub are poorly understood [16]. Plowing and harrowing are not recommended due to slow recovery of vegetation and establishment of nonnative species [16]. No matter the treatment used, untreated refugia are recommended to provide a colonization source for treated areas [11,16].
Table A1: Fire Regime Table
| Vegetation Community (Potential Natural Vegetation Group) | Fire severity* | Percent of fires | Mean fire interval (years) | Minimum fire interval (years) | Maximum fire interval (years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Great Plains | |||||
| Oak savanna | Replacement | 7% | 44 | — | — |
| Mixed | 17% | 18 | — | — | |
| Surface or low | 76% | 4 | — | — | |
| Oak woodland | Replacement | 2% | 450 | — | — |
| Surface or low | 98% | 7.5 | — | — | |
| Great Lakes | |||||
| Great Lakes pine barrens | Replacement | 8% | 41 | 10 | 80 |
| Mixed | 9% | 36 | 10 | 80 | |
| Surface or low | 83% | 4 | 1 | 20 | |
| Northern oak savanna | Replacement | 4% | 110 | 50 | 500 |
| Mixed | 9% | 50 | 15 | 150 | |
| Surface or low | 87% | 5 | 1 | 20 | |
| Oak-hickory | Replacement | 13% | 66 | 1 | — |
| Mixed | 11% | 77 | 5 | — | |
| Surface or low | 76% | 11 | 2 | 25 | |
| Northeast | |||||
| Eastern woodland mosaic | Replacement | 2% | 200 | 100 | 300 |
| Mixed | 9% | 40 | 20 | 60 | |
| Surface or low | 89% | 4 | 1 | 7 | |
| Rocky outcrop pine (Northeast) | Replacement | 16% | 128 | — | — |
| Mixed | 32% | 65 | — | — | |
| Surface or low | 52% | 40 | — | — | |
| Pine barrens | Replacement | 10% | 78 | — | — |
| Mixed | 25% | 32 | — | — | |
| Surface or low | 65% | 12 | — | — | |
| Oak-pine (eastern dry-xeric) | Replacement | 4% | 185 | — | — |
| Mixed | 7% | 110 | — | — | |
| Surface or low | 90% | 8 | — | — | |
| Appalachian oak forest (dry-mesic) | Replacement | 2% | 625 | 500 | >1,000 |
| Mixed | 6% | 250 | 200 | 500 | |
| Surface or low | 92% | 15 | 7 | 26 | |
| South-central US | |||||
| Oak savanna | Replacement | 3% | 100 | 5 | 110 |
| Mixed | 5% | 60 | 5 | 250 | |
| Surface or low | 93% | 3 | 1 | 4 | |
| Interior Highlands dry oak/bluestem woodland and glade | Replacement | 16% | 25 | 10 | 100 |
| Mixed | 4% | 100 | 10 | — | |
| Surface or low | 80% | 5 | 2 | 7 | |
| Interior Highlands oak-hickory-pine | Replacement | 3% | 150 | 100 | 300 |
| Surface or low | 97% | 4 | 2 | 10 | |
| Pine bluestem | Replacement | 4% | 100 | — | — |
| Surface or low | 96% | 4 | — | — | |
| Interior Highlands dry-mesic forest and woodland | Replacement | 7% | 250 | 50 | 300 |
| Mixed | 18% | 90 | 20 | 150 | |
| Surface or low | 75% | 22 | 5 | 35 | |
| Southern Appalachians | |||||
| Eastern prairie-woodland mosaic | Replacement | 50% | 10 | — | — |
| Mixed | 1% | 900 | — | — | |
| Surface or low | 50% | 10 | — | — | |
| Appalachian oak-hickory-pine | Replacement | 3% | 180 | 30 | 500 |
| Mixed | 8% | 65 | 15 | 150 | |
| Surface or low | 89% | 6 | 3 | 10 | |
| Oak (eastern dry-xeric) | Replacement | 6% | 128 | 50 | 100 |
| Mixed | 16% | 50 | 20 | 30 | |
| Surface or low | 78% | 10 | 1 | 10 | |
| Appalachian Virginia pine | Replacement | 20% | 110 | 25 | 125 |
| Mixed | 15% | 145 | — | — | |
| Surface or low | 64% | 35 | 10 | 40 | |
| Appalachian oak forest (dry-mesic) | Replacement | 6% | 220 | — | — |
| Mixed | 15% | 90 | — | — | |
| Surface or low | 79% | 17 | — | — | |
| Southeast | |||||
| Longleaf pine-Sandhills prairie | Replacement | 3% | 130 | 25 | 500 |
| Surface or low | 97% | 4 | 1 | 10 | |
| Coastal Plain pine-oak-hickory | Replacement | 4% | 200 | — | — |
| Mixed | 7% | 100 | — | — | |
| Surface or low | 89% | 8 | — | — | |
| *Fire Severities— Replacement: Any fire that causes greater than 75% top removal of a vegetation-fuel type, resulting in general replacement of existing vegetation; may or may not cause a lethal effect on the plants. Mixed: Any fire burning more than 5% of an area that does not qualify as a replacement, surface, or low-severity fire; includes mosaic and other fires that are intermediate in effects. Surface or low: Any fire that causes less than 25% upper layer replacement and/or removal in a vegetation-fuel class but burns 5% or more of the area [4,6]. | |||||
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