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.Forbes, William T. M. (1954) Lepidoptera of New York and neighboring states. Noctuidae: Part III. Memoir No. 329. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, New York State College of AgricultureNelson, M. W. (2007) Species fact sheet: Barrens dagger moth (Acronicta albarufa) In: Natural Heritage Endangered Species Program. Westborough, MA: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and WildlifeNew York Natural Heritage Program (2008). New York Natural Heritage Program Conservation Guide: Barrens dagger moth (Acronicta albarufa) In: Animal guides. New York Natural Heritage ProgramPatterson, William A., III; Clarke, Gretel L.; Haggerty, Sarah A.; Sievert, Paul R.; Kelty, Matthew (2005) Wildland fuel management options for the central plains of Martha's Vineyard: impacts on fuel loads, fire behavior, and rare plant and insect species. Final Report RFR# DEM705. In: Managing fuels in Northeastern Barrens. In: Publications – Fuel treatments. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts, Department of Natural Resources Conservation It may be extirpated from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, mainland New York, and New Mexico. It has been suggested that populations in the southwestern United States may be a separate species. No maps of barrens dagger moth distribution were available as of 2008.
