Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Orthosia Members: 138 NC Records

Orthosia hibisci (Guenée, 1852) - Speckled Green Fruitworm Moth

Orthosia hibisciOrthosia hibisciOrthosia hibisciOrthosia hibisci
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Noctuinae		Tribe:
Orthosiini		P3 Number:
932778		 MONA Number:
10495.00		 Other Common Name:
Speckled Green Quaker
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 alurina but usually has a continuous and distinct pale subterminal preceded by dark bars (Forbes, 1954).
Wingspan: 35-40 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 alurina (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 hibisciAlamance 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: Our records come from all types of hardwood forests across the state, from maritime forest on the barrier islands to northern hardwoods on the tops of our highest peaks.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, feeding on both hardwoods, conifers, and shrubs. Wagner et al. (2011) specifically list maple (Acer), birch (Betula), Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), ash (Fraxinus), larch (Larix), apple (Malus), spruce (Picea), poplar (Populus), cherry (Prunus), oak (Quercus), currant (Ribes), willow (Salix), and elm (Ulmus). In North Carolina, larvae have been recorded feeding on Great Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum), Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata), cherry, River Birch (Betula nigra), Smooth Blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium), and Red Maple (Acer rubrum). - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Hardwood Forests
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S4S5]
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 hibisci - Speckled Green Fruitworm Moth

 74 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-06
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-04-06
Orange Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-04-04
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-04-04
Madison Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2025-04-04
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-29
Madison Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-03-24
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-03-23
Madison Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-03-19
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-03-11
Orange Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-03-11
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-02-04
Orange Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-16
Madison Co.
Comment: Eating buds of Great Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum).		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-16
Madison Co.
Comment: Eating buds of Great Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum)
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-04-18
Greene Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-04-18
Greene Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-04-09
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-04-01
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, David George on 2024-03-31
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: tom ward on 2024-03-12
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-03-04
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-03-03
Wake Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-02-10
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-02-10
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Vin Stanton on 2023-03-23
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-03-23
Madison Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-02-15
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: John Petranka on 2023-02-09
Orange Co.
Comment:
Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2022-03-05
Sampson Co.
Comment: 		Orthosia hibisciRecorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2022-03-05
Sampson Co.
Comment: