Moths of North Carolina
Scientific Name:
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View PDFNoctuidae Members:
Chloridea Members:
102 NC Records

Chloridea virescens (Fabricius, 1777) - Tobacco Budworm Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: NoctuidaeSubfamily: HeliothinaeP3 Number: 932054.00 MONA Number: 11071.00 MONA Synonym: Heliothis virescens
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: 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.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

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