Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Orthosia Members: 83 NC Records

Orthosia alurina (Smith, 1902) - Gray Quaker

Orthosia alurinaOrthosia alurinaOrthosia alurinaOrthosia alurina
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Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Orthosiini		P3 Number:
932774		 MONA Number:
10491.00
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
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Very similar in coloration and patterning to hibisci but usually has an inconspicuous pale subterminal preceded and defined by much heavier dark bars (Forbes, 1954)
Wingspan: 32-35 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: Males have heavily serrate antennae, with the pectinations (including terminal bristles) longer that the width of the shaft (Forbes, 1954). Male valves are very different from those of hibisci (see illustrations in Forbes) and may be the most reliable way of identifying some individuals.
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 alurinaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: immatures.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Woodlands and forests (Wagner et al., 2011). Our records come from a wide range of forests and shrublands, ranging from maritime forests to pocosins to bottomland hardwoods to northern hardwoods.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on a wide range of hardwood trees and shrubs. Wagner et al. (2011) specifically list serviceberry (Amelanchier), holly (Ilex), apple (Malus), cherry (Prunus), and basswood (Tilia). In North Carolina, we have feeding record from Red Maple (Acer rubrum) and Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR 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 alurina - Gray Quaker

 55 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2025-03-28
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2025-03-19
Orange Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: David George, Steve Hall on 2025-03-15
Chatham Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: David George on 2025-03-12
Durham Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-03-08
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-02-25
Orange Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-02-25
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-13
Wake Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-03-05
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-03-05
Wake Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-02-26
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-02-26
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-02-15
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-02-14
Wake Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-02-14
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2024-02-11
Orange Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-04
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-04-04
Durham Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: tom ward on 2023-03-05
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-02-28
Wake Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Richard Teper on 2023-02-17
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2023-02-16
Cabarrus Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-02-10
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2023-02-08
Orange Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2023-02-08
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2023-02-08
Orange Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2022-05-02
Craven Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-03-04
Durham Co.
Comment:
Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-03-03
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia alurinaRecorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2022-02-22
Wake Co.
Comment: