Bug FAQRuddy Quaker Moth
Protorthodes oviduca · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Noctuidae
Also called: Ruddy Quaker
The Ruddy Quaker Moth has reddish-brown forewings about 11 to 14 mm long and a dark, pale-outlined reniform spot. It lives in boreal and temperate parts of Canada and the northern United States, extending south to central Florida, southern Alabama, and the western mountains as far as Colorado and Utah, often favoring sandy areas. Larvae feed on a variety of herbs and grasses, and adults are on the wing from mid-May to early July.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewings are reddish brown in ground colour. The reniform spot is usually filled with dark shading and edged with a contrasting pale border.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Forewing length ranges from 11 to 14 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs across boreal and temperate regions of Canada and the northern United States. In places like Ohio and Michigan it is restricted to sandy habitats.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on various herbs and grasses.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active from mid-May to early July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 28 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Connecticut, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, New York, Colorado.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult Ruddy Quaker Moths active?
Adults are on the wing from mid-May through early July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this moth found?
It lives across boreal and temperate Canada and the northern United States, extending south to central Florida, southern Alabama, and the western mountains to Colorado and Utah, often in sandy sites.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Noctuidae)
Ipsilon Dart MothAgrotis ipsilonDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Armyworm MothSpodoptera frugiperdaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Army Cutworm MothEuxoa auxiliarisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Large Yellow UnderwingNoctua pronubaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Silver ΥAutographa gamma
American DaggerAcronicta americanaCan irritate skinSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protorthodes_oviduca
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.