Moths of North Carolina
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95 NC Records

Orthosia rubescens (Walker, 1865) - Ruby Quaker

Orthosia rubescens
view caption 		Orthosia rubescensOrthosia rubescens
view caption 		Orthosia rubescens
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Orthosiini		P3 Number:
932770		 MONA Number:
10487.00
Comments: One of 22 species (two others provisional) that occur in this genus north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 210); five have been recorded in North Carolina
Species Status: Based on the antennal characteristics of both the males and females, Hampson (1905) included rubescens (as Monima rubrescens) in Section II; all of our other species belong to Section III.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Hampson, 1905); Forbes (1954)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The ground color of the forewings is luteous, variably overlain by reddish-brown, ranging from predominantly reddish to completely suffused with gray (Forbes, 1954). Usually heavily marked with reddish flecks and a reddish band is usually present between the orbicular and reniform. Both the orbicular and reniform are large; the orbicular is usually filled with the luteous ground color and the reniform usually has a black spot in the lower portion. The antemedian and postmedian lines can be obscure, complete or incomplete, sometimes represented by a series of dark dots on the veins. The subterminal is often obscure and never as cleanly marked as in revicta (Forbes, 1954). In revicta, alurina, and hibisci, all of which can have some reddish shading, the underlying ground color is grayish without of the luteous that is characteristic of rubescens.
Wingspan: 35-40 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: Male antennae are bipectinate with fairly long pectinations (Hampson, 1905; Forbes, 1954; Pogue, 2010); males of the other members of this genus have serrate and fasciculate antennae. Females of rubescens have serrulate antennae (Hampson, 1905, key on p. 411), possessing short triangular projections but without the fasciculate setae found in the males of the other species. The valves of the males are diagnostic; the sacculus has a terminal process in rubescens, which is absent in the other species (Forbes, 1954).
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Orthosia rubescens
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Forests and woodlands (Wagner et al., 2011)
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on many species of shrubs and trees, including conifers; also feed on forbs to some extent. Wagner et al. (2011) specifically list maple (Acer), birch (Betula), chestnut (Castanea), beech (Fagus), holly (Ilex), American Hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), cherry (Prunus), oak (Quercus), currant (Ribes), elderberry (Sambucus), greenbrier (Smilax), hemlock (Tsuga), blueberry (Vaccinium), and Viburnum. - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Dry-Mesic Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Orthosia rubescens - Ruby Quaker

43 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-29
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-03-24
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-13
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: tom ward on 2024-04-08
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-07
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-04-01
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-04-01
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2024-03-31
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-03-07
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-03-04
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-03-03
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2023-03-27
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: B bockhahn on 2023-03-06
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-05-28
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2022-05-28
Yancey Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-22
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2022-05-02
Craven Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2022-05-02
Craven Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: tom ward on 2022-04-06
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-04-04
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-03-15
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2022-03-15
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-03-15
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-05-03
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2021-04-09
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-05
Madison Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-05
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David L. Heavner on 2021-03-22
Chatham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-03-22
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2020-04-03
Buncombe Co.
Comment: