Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members:
Trichopolia Members:
35 NC Records

Trichopolia oviduca (Guenée, 1852) - Ruddy Quaker Moth


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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: NoctuinaeTribe: EriopyginiP3 Number: 933113.00 MONA Number: 10563.00 MONA Synonym: Protorthodes oviduca
Comments: A New World genus of some 15 species, 1 from Mexico, 1 from Eastern North America and North Carolina and the remainder from the American West (Lafontaine et al., 2014).
Species Status: Specimens from North Carolina have been examined and cluster with those from elsewhere, no evidence of multiple species.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1954)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Crumb (1956); Wagner et al. (2011)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This species is likely to be confused with Homorthodes furfurata, Pseudorthodes vecors or Orthodes cynica. Males and females usually have a well marked yellowish subterminal line, the others do not. Individuals lacking the subterminal line may require dissection until one becomes familiar with the species. Specimens are uniform brown or in the mountains reddish, some with a well marked pattern of lines.
Adult Structural Features: Males of Trichopolia have pectinate antennae, whereas those of Homorthodes and Pseudorthodes do not. The long, thin uncus is diagnostic for the male. For the female, the lyre-shaped ductus bursae is diagnostic.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The caterpillar is undistinguished, perhaps the best character being an orangish/tan subdorsal patch on segment A8 (Wagner et al, 2011). The caterpillar overwinters as a mature larva.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from close inspection of specimens or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Probably found over most of the state, although we have few records from the Piedmont and Low Mountains
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

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