Live adult plume moths photographed at West Chicago Prairie and Winfield
Mounds Forest Preserve, DuPage County IL on June 19 & 22, 2005.
Size: Body sans antennae: 8mm / Wingspan: 19mm.
This little moth stunned me when I got this shot home and onto the
big screen. I never know what things this small really look like in the
field. The thorn camouflage is amazing. Thanks to
Bob Patterson for the ID.
Plume moths are easily recognized by their characteristic
"T"-shaped resting posture and the lobed or divided wings of
most species. While the family Pterophoridae is easily
identified, species determinations are more challenging, often
requiring dissection and preparation of genitalia slides. The
usual resting posture is with the wings extended laterally and
narrowly rolled up. Often they resemble a piece of dried grass,
and may pass unnoticed by potential predators even when resting
in exposed situations in daylight. Some species have larvae
which are stem- or root-borers while others are leaf-browsers.
There are currently 154 described species known from North
America north of Mexico.
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