Moths of North Carolina

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

Home

View PDF	Erebidae Members:	Rusicada Members:	47 NC Records

Rusicada privata (Walker, 1865) - Hibiscus-leaf Caterpillar Moth

Taxonomy

Superfamily:
Noctuoidea

Family:
Erebidae

Subfamily:
Scoliopteryginae

Tribe:
Anomini

P3 Number:
930610.5

MONA Number:
8547.00

MONA Synonym:
Anomis privata

Other Common Name:
Hibiscus Scalloped Moth

Identification

Field Guide Descriptions:

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

Technical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner et al. (2011)

Adult Markings: The ground color is yellowish to dark fuscous, sometimes with a heavy dusting of red and a paler patch of mouse gray or reddish-yellow in the fold where it is crossed by the postmedian (Forbes, 1954). The transverse lines are dark brown, edges with gray. The antemedian is excurved and moderately scalloped. The postmedian runs irregularly in from the costa but then makes a sharp right angle bend inward to the basal edge of the reniform, to which it appears to be an extension. From that point, it runs straight to the inner margin (Forbes, 1954). The subterminal is represented by a series of fuscous patches, bordered outwardly by a pale line. The orbicular is a small ring that may be filled with white. The reniform is a narrow lunule with a straight base that lines up with the inner portion of the postmedian.

Anomis erosa generally has a more yellowish ground color but is similar in pattern. The postmedian, however, is more smoothly curved in from the costa, although also strongly offset inward, again reaching the base of the reniform. From that point, it curves across the wing, joining the antemedian just above the inner margin. In contrast to R. privata, A. erosa has a well-developed tooth on both the antemedian and postmedian lines. In R. privata, the antemedian line appears scalloped, without the obvious tooth of A. erosa.

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

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

Distribution in North Carolina

Distribution: We have scattered records across the Piedmont and Mountains, but so far only one from the Coastal Plain.

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
Immature Dates: High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft. Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft. Piedmont (Pd) Coastal Plain (CP) Click on graph to enlarge

Habitats and Life History

Habitats:

Larval Host Plants: Larvae feed on Hibiscus species, including non-native Rose-of-Sharon (H. syriacus) (Wagner et al., 2011). In North Carolina, David George has observed larvae feeding on Rose-of-Sharon planted along an urban road in Durham, and there is a BugGuide record (Jamie M. Simancas, 2024) for a larva on an unidentified Hibiscus in Guilford County. Rose-of-Sharon is likely the primary host in North Carolina for this introduced species, but there is also an iNaturalist record (Brian Antczak, 2022) of a larva on Swamp Rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) in Ashe County. - View

Wikipedia

Status in North Carolina

Natural Heritage Program Status:

Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR SNR [SNA]

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

Comments: This species is an introduced Old World Species (Wagner et al., 2011).

Photo Gallery for Rusicada privata - Hibiscus-leaf Caterpillar Moth

49 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

	Recorded by: Rich Teper on 2025-09-17 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2025-09-15 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George on 2025-09-03 Durham Co. Comment: Feeding on Hibiscus syriacus		Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-08-30 Richmond Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-08-23 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-10-12 Orange Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jeff Niznik on 2024-10-12 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-06-10 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-09-06 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2023-08-07 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2023-07-29 Cabarrus Co. Comment:		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-06-14 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-06-03 Orange Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2022-07-16 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Vin Stanton on 2022-07-04 Buncombe Co. Comment:		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2022-07-02 Transylvania Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-09-25 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-09-24 Wake Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-09-23 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: tom ward on 2021-05-17 Buncombe Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-05-03 Wake Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2021-04-07 Cabarrus Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-10-05 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-09-14 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Jim Petranka and Becky Elkin on 2020-09-14 Madison Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-09-04 Guilford Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Gary Maness on 2020-08-30 Guilford Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2020-08-29 Durham Co. Comment:
	Recorded by: Simpson Eason on 2020-08-29 Durham Co. Comment:		Recorded by: Robert Gilson on 2020-03-20 Iredell Co. Comment: