Bug FAQRusty Virbia Moth
Virbia ferruginosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Rusty Holomelina Moth, Rusty Virbia
The rusty virbia moth belongs to the family Erebidae. It lives across Canada from Nova Scotia to British Columbia and in the United States from the northeast and upper Midwest down to Virginia, Mississippi, Missouri and Louisiana. Its caterpillars can be raised on dandelion species, and adults appear in July with one generation each year.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Virbia ferruginosa is a moth in the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae have been successfully reared on dandelion species.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active in July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes eastern and central Canada and the United States as listed above.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 33 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Connecticut, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Pennsylvania.
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
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virbia_ferruginosa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.