Species Orthosia rubescens - Ruby Quaker - Hodges#10487

10487

Orthosia rubescens (Walker, 1865)

common to abundant

wingspan 30-40 mm

Adult: antennae of male bipectinate; forewing yellowish with heavy reddish to reddish-brown shading; reniform spot with black filling at lower end; otherwise, pattern too variable and insdistinct to be useful

hindwing pale grayish-brown, darker toward outer margin; fringe pale

Larva: dark brown to violet gray above and pale green-white below, with broad white stripe running through spiracles; head brown with snowflake-like lighter areas and dark stripes to either side of midline; dorsal and subdorsal stripes broken into white spots; dorsum often with single white spot to either side of midline; lateral stripe interrupted by dark patches about spiracles

[description from Caterpillars of Eastern Forests]

Nova Scotia to Virginia, west to Arkansas, north to Ontario

deciduous and mixed woods, wood edges; adults are nocturnal and attracted to light and sugar bait

adults fly during warm periods in winter but are mostly seen in March and April, with scattered records to July

larvae in May and June

larvae feed on leaves of alder, beech, cherry, hemlock, maple, oak, plum, poplar, and cattail (Typha spp.)

one generation per year