Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFGeometridae Members: Mesoleuca Members: 34 NC Records

Mesoleuca ruficillata (Guenée, [1858]) - White-ribboned Carpet

Mesoleuca ruficillataMesoleuca ruficillata
view caption 		Mesoleuca ruficillata
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Geometroidea		 Family:
Geometridae		Subfamily:
Larentiinae		Tribe:
Hydriomenini		P3 Number:
91a0458		 MONA Number:
7307.00
Comments: A rather unique looking genus of six species of which two occur in the United States and one in North Carolina. The others are in Europe, India, China and Russia. Our species looks much like the European one but differs in genitalia and barcodes.
Species Status: Specimens from North Carolina barcode with those from elsewhere in the eastern US and show no significant heterogeneity.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2001)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Adults easily distinguished by their large expanses of white, which is unique among our Geometrids. Elements of the pattern are reminiscent of Dystromma, another high altitude Geometrid genus in our fauna.
Adult Structural Features: The genitalia are quite distinct. In the male the costa has several ornate sclerotized projections and the juxta has a large medial extension. In the female the signum is comet-like.
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The lime-green green inchworm has a distinctive wine-colored anal plate (Wagner et al., 2001).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Restricted to the Mountains in North Carolina.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Mesoleuca ruficillataAlamance 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.
Flight Comments: There seem to be two broods, one in May and a second in July.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The moth occurs from about 3000’ upward in wooded, often moist habitats, including Cove Forests and Northern Hardwoods. Its foodplants are common species and we know little about any specific requirements.
Larval Host Plants: Larvae are polyphagous, reportedly feeding on alder (Alnus), birch (Betula), and blackberry (Rubus) (Wagner et al, 2001). We do not have any feeding records in North Carolina. - View
Observation Methods: Adults respond to light but have not been recorded to be active diurnally which their pattern would indicate might be the case. They would not be expected to come to bait.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G4 SNR [S3S4]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species is associated with high elevation mesic forests, which are threatened to some extent by global climate change. For the moment, however, this species still has a wide range within the Mountains of North Carolina. This lovely moth deserves further study in the state to pin down its host plants and habitat associations.

 Photo Gallery for Mesoleuca ruficillata - White-ribboned Carpet

Photos: 18
Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-24
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-22
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: B. Bockhahn on 2024-07-16
Ashe Co.
Comment: 		Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2024-05-04
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper, Becky Watkins on 2023-07-30
Swain Co.
Comment: 		Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-08-24
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-07-18
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-06-28
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: tom ward on 2022-05-02
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-08-01
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-07-05
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-05-31
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-05-14
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: tom ward on 2021-05-14
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-04-27
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2019-05-04
Yancey Co.
Comment:
Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: Paul Scharf, B.Bockhahn, K.Kittelburger on 2014-06-09
Avery Co.
Comment: 		Mesoleuca ruficillataRecorded by: E. Corey on 2007-07-12
Alleghany Co.
Comment: