Tobacco Budworm Moth
Chloridea virescens (Fabricius, 1777)
Family: Noctuidae
Subfamily: Heliothentinae
Identification: Forewing pale green with 3 nearly parallel lines as in Subflexus Straw, but usually no white edging on basal side of median line. Postmedian line ends before reaching costa and is not continued to apex by black dash. Reniform spot outline darker, outer side more curved. Hindwing white, usually with prominent gray shading, though this is absent in some males.
Wing Span: 2.7-3.8 cm.
Life History:
Flight: 2 broods, May - October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Larva is a serious pest on tobacco. First brood larvae eat buds while second brood eat flowers and seedpods. Also feeds on ageratum, geraniums, roses, and members of the nightshade family.
Adult Food:
Habitat:
Range: Maine and southern Ontario to Florida, west to Nebraska and Texas.
Conservation:
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs:
Taxonomy Notes: Formerly in the genus Heliothis. See Pogue (2013), Lafontaine & Schmidt (2015), Lafontaine & Schmidt, 2015: 140.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Heliothis virescens
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 256 verified sightings
Observation date: Dec 06, 2025
Submitted by: Jamaiken
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Dec 09, 2025
Observation date: Nov 04, 2025
Submitted by: Dogoszhi
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 05, 2025
Observation date: Oct 04, 2025
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 29, 2025
Observation date: Oct 04, 2025
Submitted by: rynthae
Region: King County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 13, 2025
Observation date: Oct 05, 2025
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Oct 06, 2025
Observation date: Sep 26, 2025
Submitted by: LittleWoodSatyr
Region: Defiance County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 28, 2025
Observation date: Sep 19, 2025
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Yellowstone County, Montana, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 22, 2025
Observation date: Sep 14, 2025
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 15, 2025
Observation date: Sep 06, 2025
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 06, 2025
Observation date: Aug 29, 2025
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 30, 2025
Observation date: Aug 27, 2025
Submitted by: Ghettoman45
Region: Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 28, 2025
Observation date: Aug 14, 2025
Submitted by: butterflygirl21
Region: Lake County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 16, 2025
Observation date: Aug 12, 2025
Submitted by: Belinda Knoblock
Region: Putnam County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 13, 2025
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 13, 2025
Observation date: Jun 10, 2025
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 12, 2025
Observation date: Oct 22, 2024
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 22, 2024
Observation date: Sep 19, 2024
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 26, 2024
Observation date: Sep 14, 2024
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 16, 2024
Observation date: Oct 06, 2015
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 30, 2024
Observation date: Aug 02, 2024
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Washoe County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 06, 2024
Observation date: Sep 16, 2023
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Ilona L.
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
Observation date: Sep 05, 2018
Submitted by: PattyCampbell.
Region: Chatham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 16, 2024
Observation date: Oct 15, 2017
Submitted by: kimbird246
Region: Durham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 16, 2024
Observation date: Oct 07, 2018
Submitted by: bmdj
Region: Loudoun County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 08, 2024
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