Moths of North Carolina
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135 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 hibisci
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: 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, we have a feeding record from Great Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum), and J.B. Sullivan recorded larvae on Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata), cherry, River Birch (Betula nigra), 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

69 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 2025-03-23
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2025-03-19
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-03-11
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-03-11
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2025-02-04
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-16
Madison Co.
Comment: Eating buds of Great Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum).
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-05-16
Madison Co.
Comment: Eating buds of Great Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum)		Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-04-18
Greene Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger and Donald Zepp on 2024-04-18
Greene Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-04-09
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-04-01
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, David George on 2024-03-31
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: tom ward on 2024-03-12
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-03-04
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-03-03
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-02-10
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-02-10
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2023-03-23
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-03-23
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2023-02-15
Wake Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: John Petranka on 2023-02-09
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2022-03-05
Sampson Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Michael P. Morales on 2022-03-05
Sampson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-03-04
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-03-04
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-03-03
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: R. Newman on 2022-03-03
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: John Petranka, Chuck Smith on 2022-03-03
Halifax Co.
Comment: