Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Virbia Members: 29 NC Records

Virbia rubicundaria (Hübner, [1831]) - Ruddy Virbia

Virbia rubicundariaVirbia rubicundariaVirbia rubicundaria
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Arctiinae		Tribe:
Arctiini		P3 Number:
930336.59		 MONA Number:
8122.00		 MONA Synonym:
Holomelina rubicundaria		Other Common Name:
Ruddy 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 rubicundaria)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1960); Zaspel et al. (2008)Technical Description, Immature Stages: None                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The smallest and brightest orange of our species of Virbia. The forewings are generally pinkish orange and lack the discal spots and sub-median dark band sometimes found in aurantiaca. Hind-wings are unmarked bright orange in males and possess brown discal spots and a marginal band in females. Females in particular may be difficult to distinguish from those of aurantiaca except by their smaller size and brighter colors (Zaspel et al., 2008). Males of the two species can usually be distinguished based on the presence of dark marking on the hindwings of male aurantiaca but none in rubicundaria; unmarked forms of aurantiaca also exist, however, which may require dissection to determine.
Forewing Length: 8.9 mm, males; 8.7 mm, females (Zaspel et al., 2008)
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from photos showing hindwings, abdomen, or other specialized views [e.g., frons, palps, antennae, undersides].
Immatures and Development: Larval descriptions appear to be unavailable.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Except for one historic record from Brevard in the Mountains (Wray, 1967), all of our records come from the eastern Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Virbia rubicundariaAlamance 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: Adults have been recorded throughout the growing season but too few data exist to determine if there are distinct flight periods
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: The majority of our records come from Longleaf Pine habitats, including savannas, flatwoods, sandhills, and sandhill seeps. We also have records from Maritime Forests (Baldhead Island) and fairly ordinary Dry-Mesic Oak Hickory Forest in the Piedmont.
Larval Host Plants: Zaspel et al. (2008) list dandelion (Taraxacum) and wild lettuce (Lactuca) as host plants, but probably as foods accepted in captivity. In the wild, they probably feed on a variety of low forbs, as reported for other members of this genus (see Forbes, 1960 and Wagner, 2005). - View
Observation Methods: Appears to come moderately to blacklights, usually in small numbers but with up to seven 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: Appears to be somewhat uncommon in North Carolina but may have been overlooked due to mis-identification as V. aurantiaca. It does not appear to be restricted by either host plants or habitats.

 Photo Gallery for Virbia rubicundaria - Ruddy Virbia

Photos: 13
Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2020-07-07
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: Steve Hall on 2020-07-04
Orange Co.
Comment:
Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-07-01
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: Owen McConnell on 2020-06-28
Durham Co.
Comment:
Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: John Petranka on 2019-05-15
Burke Co.
Comment: 		Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: Mark Shields on 2019-05-04
Onslow Co.
Comment:
Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-06-15
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-06-15
Guilford Co.
Comment:
Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: Gary Maness on 2018-06-15
Guilford Co.
Comment: 		Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: Darryl Willis on 2016-08-06
Cabarrus Co.
Comment:
Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: Stephen Hall on 2015-07-14
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: Stephen Hall on 2015-07-09
Orange Co.
Comment:
Virbia rubicundariaRecorded by: Taylor Piephoff on 2011-08-05
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: