Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFErebidae Members: Orgyia Members: 6 NC Records

Orgyia antiqua (Linnaeus, 1758) - Rusty Tussock Moth

Orgyia antiquaOrgyia antiqua
view caption 		Orgyia antiqua
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Noctuoidea		 Family:
Erebidae		Subfamily:
Lymantriinae		Tribe:
Orgyiini		P3 Number:
930160		 MONA Number:
8308.00		 Other Common Name:
Vapourer Moth
Comments: One of ten species in this genus that occur in North America, four of which have been recorded in North Carolina. The subspecies in our area is most likely O. a. nova, which is found over most of North America other than the Pacific Northwest and Alaska (Ferguson, 1978).
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1948); Ferguson (1978)Technical Description, Immature Stages: Ferguson (1978); Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Males are a rusty chocolate brown on the forewings, with a well-developed, contrasting white tornal spot. The hindwings are a brighter rusty brown. Females have only rudimentary wings, similar to the females of Phigalia species.
Adult Structural Features: Orgyia species have a single dorsal tuft on their abdomens, whereas Dasychira have two. Adults lack functional mouthparts. Female antiqua can be distinguished by the broader pectinations of their antennae -- about twice as wide as the width of the shaft -- than found in the other species of Orgyia (Ferguson, 1978).
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: Larvae of this species are among the most gaudy of our caterpillars. The body is black with red warts and spots and four dorsal tufts that are white or tan. Both anterior and posterior hair pencils are present, consisting of long plumose setae that are expanded at their tips. In addition, two lateral hair pencils are present, one composed of white hair extending out from the thorax and an adjacent one of black projecting from the first abdominal segment (Ferguson, 1978; Wagner, 2005).
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos, especially where associated with known host plants.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Restricted to the High Mountains where it may be a Pleistocene relict.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Orgyia antiquaAlamance 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.