Distribution and Abundance: Common.

Primary Habitat: General occurrence.

Flight Period: Records for the moth extend from May to September indicating a second brood in some years.

Observations: Due to the moths close similarity in appearance to its congener the Dark Dagger (A. tridens), there is likely to be a confusion of records between these species. Notwithstanding this the Grey Dagger is generally much the more common of the two in this county and its caterpillar can also be found more readily, especially on lime and hawthorn. In the 1970’s I obtained eggs from the two species in Northamptonshire and found psi to outnumber tridens by five to one. In my experience the Dark Dagger seems to prefer wetland, but even there is the scarcer species.

L.O.N.: 1907. Everywhere. Common.

First Record: 1882, Hull & Tomalin.