Aquiline Plume Moth - Hodges#6110
Platyptilia percnodactylus
This record describes Platyptilia percnodactylus (species). Recorded family: Pterophoridae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional details | Fernald description Head and thorax pale brown; antennae spotted on the upper side with white and brown. |
| Abdomen | Abdomen brownish, paler at the base. |
| Legs | Legs whitish, slender, slightly enlarged, and tinged with brownish at the end of the segments. Spurs pale. Fore wings pale brown with much paler blotches, one reaching from the base of the fissure to the costa, another below the dark-brown costal triangle and another at the base of the costal margin; a pale streak crosses the wing, parallel to the outer margin, which is brownish; a brown line at the base of the fringes, which are brown except within the fissure and near the anal angle ; a few brown scales near the middle of the hind margin. Hind wings brown, the third feather paler than the others, and with a few fuscous scales in the fringe of the hind margin of the third feather. Specimen identified by DNA analysis (BOLD). |
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Pterophoroidea
- Family
- Pterophoridae (Plume Moths)
- Subfamily
- Pterophorinae
- Tribe
- Platyptiliini
- Genus
- Platyptilia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
California and Arizona to Alberta.
Seasonal Activity
June to July records.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Platyptilia percnodactylus. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Aquiline Plume Moth - Hodges#6110 (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Maury J. Heiman; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz , treichard
Frequently Asked Questions About Aquiline Plume Moth - Hodges#6110
What is Aquiline Plume Moth - Hodges#6110?
Aquiline Plume Moth - Hodges#6110 (Platyptilia percnodactylus) is a species in the family Pterophoridae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How big is Aquiline Plume Moth - Hodges#6110?
Fernald (1898) listed a wingspan of 22 mm.
How do you identify Aquiline Plume Moth - Hodges#6110?
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Additional details | Fernald description Head and thorax pale brown; antennae spotted on the upper side with white and brown. |
| Abdomen | Abdomen brownish, paler at the base. |
| Legs | Legs whitish, slender, slightly enlarged, and tinged with brownish at the end of the segments. Spurs pale. Fore wings pale brown with much paler blotches, one reaching from the base of the fissure to the costa, another below the dark-brown costal triangle and another at the base of the costal margin; a pale streak crosses the wing, parallel to the outer margin, which is brownish; a brown line at the base of the fringes, which are brown except within the fissure and near the anal angle ; a few brown scales near the middle of the hind margin. Hind wings brown, the third feather paler than the others, and with a few fuscous scales in the fringe of the hind margin of the third feather. Specimen identified by DNA analysis (BOLD). |
Where is Aquiline Plume Moth - Hodges#6110 found?
Range: California and Arizona to Alberta.
When is Aquiline Plume Moth - Hodges#6110 active?
Aquiline Plume Moth - Hodges#6110: seasonal activity - June to July records..