Moths of North Carolina

Scientific Name:	Common Name:		Family (Alpha): Choose a Family

Home

View PDF	Erebidae Members:	Virbia Members:	166 NC Records

Virbia laeta (Guérin-Méneville, 1844) - Joyful Virbia

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Erebidae

Subfamily:
Arctiinae

Tribe:
Arctiini

P3 Number:
930336.51

MONA Number:
8114.00

MONA Synonym:
Holomelina laeta

Other Common Name:
Joyful Holomelina Moth

Comments: One of fourteen species in North America, five of which occur in North Carolina

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Holomelina laeta); Beadle and Leckie (2012)

Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD

Technical Description, Adults: Forbes (1960); Zaspel et al. (2008)

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Forbes (1960)

Adult Markings: Unmistakeable. A moderately small moth with ash-gray to black forewings usually bordered by a narrow line of pink or crimson along the costa and with bright scarlet hindwings with a black border along the outer margin. The rear of the head is also scarlet, as is the abdomen, which has a series of black spots on the dorsal surface.

Forewing Length: 15 mm, males; 17 mm, females (Zaspel et al., 2008)

Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.

Immatures and Development: Larvae are pale grayish with feathery black hairs that have white barbs; large sub-dorsal warts are located on segment A9 (Forbes, 1960).

Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: The vast majority of our records come from the southern half of the Coastal Plain, including the Fall-line Sandhills. The presence of this species in the Mountains is based on a single specimen collected at New River State Park.

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) Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: Continuously present in the Coastal Plain throughout the growing season but with three peaks in frequency

Habitats and Life History

Habitats: Outside of North Carolina, Virbia laeta is reported to be generally associated with pine forests (Zaspel et al., 2008), or is considered a generalist with possibly some affinity to xeric habitats (Kons and Borth, 2009). All but two of our records, however, come from Longleaf Pine habitats, particularly Wet Pine Savannas and Sandhill Seeps. Others are associated with beaver sedge mires or depressional wetlands are embedded in sandhills habitats. Only a small number come from sites that appear to lack wet habitats.

Larval Host Plants: Larvae of this species have been reared in captivity on dandelion (Taraxacum) and plantain (Plantago), suggesting they might be polyphagous, feeding on a wide range of forbs. - View

Observation Methods: Comes well to blacklights, with up to 15 collected in a single trap. Adults do not feed, so do not come to bait. Most Virbia can be flushed from their habitats during the day, indicating they are at least partially diurnal (Zaspel et al., 2008)

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 SNR [S3S4]

State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands

Comments: In North Carolina, at least, this species appears to be fairly specialized in terms of its habitats, at least in comparison to species such as Virbia opella and V. aurantiaca, which occur in a much broader range of habitat types. More needs to be learned about its exact habitat requirements -- including its host plant use -- in order to accurately determine its conservation status.

Photo Gallery for Virbia laeta - Joyful Virbia

Photos: 26

	Recorded by: David George, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Patrick Coin on 2025-06-29 Moore Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-06-29 Richmond Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Jim Petranka, John Petranka, Becky Elkin on 2025-05-09 Cumberland Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-03 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-03 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-18 Brunswick Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-18 Brunswick Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-17 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2024-04-16 New Hanover Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-17 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2023-05-21 New Hanover Co. Comment:		Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rich Teper on 2023-05-21 New Hanover Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Stephen Hall, Bo Sullivan, and Jim Petranka on 2022-08-29 Moore Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-07-13 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-07-13 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-27 Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2021-05-27 Onslow Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-04-09 Onslow Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2019-09-09 Onslow Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Amanda Auxier on 2017-09-16 Pender Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Amanda Auxier on 2017-09-16 Pender Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Amanda Auxier on 2017-09-16 Pender Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Kyle Kittelberger on 2014-09-27 Beaufort Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Steve Hall, Scott Hartley, Chris Helms on 2000-05-02 Moore Co. Comment: Male; wingspan = 2.2 cm; forewing length = 0.4 cm