Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFNoctuidae Members: Chloridea Members: 120 NC Records

Chloridea virescens (Fabricius, 1777) - Tobacco Budworm Moth

Chloridea virescensChloridea virescensChloridea virescensChloridea virescens
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Noctuidae		Subfamily:
Heliothinae		P3 Number:
932054		 MONA Number:
11071.00		 MONA Synonym:
Heliothis virescens
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Chloridea virescens and subflexa are similar in color and in having three straight lines running across the forewings. The hindwings provide the clearest way to separate the two: both have white hindwings, but virescens has a strong blackish or reddish margin, whereas subflexa has only a faint gray marginal band, if any. BugGuide also suggests that rusty coloring on the forelegs is characteristic of virescens, which appears to be true for at least some individuals but examination of specimens in our collection does not indicate a complete correlation between foreleg color and hindwing color and pattern (J.B. Sullivan, pers. obs.). We continue to recommend that photographs be submitted that show at least a portion of the outer margin of the hindwings.
Wingspan: 28-35 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Chloridea virescensAlamance 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:
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, feeding on a wide range of plants, including many crop species. Wagner (2005) specifically lists soybean, cotton, tobacco, geranium, ground-cherry, and rose. In North Carolina, larvae have been observed on Indian Jointvetch (Aeschynomene indica), Catnip (Nepeta cataria), Cultivated Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), beardtongue (Penstemon sp.), coneflower (Rudbeckia sp.), Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia), Hairy Leafcup (Smallanthus uvedalia), Purple False Foxglove (Agalinis purpurea), Silphium, and Garden Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). - View
Wikipedia
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 Chloridea virescens - Tobacco Budworm Moth

 93 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: R. Newman on 2025-08-27
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-08-27
Durham Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-23
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-23
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-22
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-08-21
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-08-16
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-08-09
Durham Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-27
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-07-25
Durham Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-13
Rowan Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-13
Rowan Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-07-06
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Sarah Toner on 2025-06-03
Tyrrell Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-08-20
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-08-17
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2024-08-17
Johnston Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2024-08-17
Johnston Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-07-17
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-07-14
Transylvania Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-09
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-06-09
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-07
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-09-13
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-09-07
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-07
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-05
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-09-05
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Chloridea virescensRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-08-26
Wilson Co.
Comment: