Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: 6 NC Records

Virbia ferruginosa (Walker, 1854) - Rusty Holomelina Moth

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Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: ArctiinaeTribe: ArctiiniP3 Number: 930306.00 MONA Number: 8123.00 MONA Synonym: Holomelina ferruginosa
Comments: One of fourteen species in North America, five of which occur in North Carolina
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Holomelina ferruginosa); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, BAMONATechnical Description, Adults: Zaspel et al. (2008)Technical Description, Immature Stages: None                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Virbia ferruginosa is one of several small brownish- or yellowish-orange Virbias, all of which may be difficult to distinguish, particularly based on photographs alone, especially shots showing just the forewings. Ferruginosa is particularly similar to aurantiaca, but it larger and usually has the dark band on the hindwing broken into a series of spots; in aurantiaca, this bar is usually more solid (Zaspel et al., 2008). Females may have white spots on the forewing. Dissection offers the most reliable way of identification, at least for males (see Forbes, 1960; and Zaspel et al., 2008 for illustrations and descriptions).
Forewing Length: 13.4 mm, males; 15 mm, females (Zaspel et al., 2008)
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: Too little information is available to determine its distribution in North Carolina
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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Flight Comments: Brimley (1938) had records from May and August in the Piedmont and from May in the Mountains
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Habitat was not recorded at the few localities where this species has been found in North Carolina
Larval Host Plants: Larvae of this species has been reared in captivity on Dandelion (Zaspel et al., 2008), suggesting they might be polyphagous, feeding on a wide range of forbs.
Observation Methods: Collection methods were not recorded at the sites where this species has been found in North Carolina
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 [SU]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands
Comments: Too little is known about the distribution, abundance, or habitat associations of this species in North Carolina to estimate its conservation status