Plume Moth (Pterophoridae)

Alice Springs Fauna •

Alice Springs Moths | Alice Springs Moths Index

The Plume Moth, are a well known and easily recognized group of moths in the family Pterophoridae. Comprising over 90 genera, that is estimated to be made up of over 1,000 species.

Most of the species have distinctive wings that are divided into narrow lobes that resemble feathers or “plumes” (because of the long fringe scales along the lobe margins). The forewing is usually divided into 2 lobes (with some species having 3 or 4), and the hindwing into 3. There are two genera, Agdistis and Ochyrotica that have entire wings.

Plume Moth (family Pterophoridae), Alice Springs, NT — Plume Moth (family *Pterophoridae*), Alice Springs, NT

Most adult Plume Moths, when at rest have their wings folded or rolled and held perpendicular to the slender body of the moth, in the characteristic “T”-shaped position. Some species rest with the wings tilted back or slightly back and upward in more of a “Y” shape position.

In the following (not the sharpest of) photos, is a Plume Moth (deceased), that was retrieved from a swimming pool in Alice Springs.

Check out our section on Fauna > Insects | Moths | Moth Index | Plume Moth

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Pterophoroidea
Family: Pterophoridae
Subfamilies:
- Agdistinae
- Deuterocopinae
- Ochyroticinae
- Pterophorinae

Footnote & References

Many thanks to Andrew Parker for ID, member of NT Field Naturalists’ Club Inc, https://www.facebook.com/groups/ntfieldnaturalistsclub/
Pterophoridae in Australia, Coffs Harbour Butterfly House, www.lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/pter/pterophoridae.html

Alice Springs MothsAedia leucomelas (Sweet Potato Leaf Worm) Agrotis munda (Brown Cutworm Moth) Australian Striped Hawk Moth (Hyles livornicoides) Bag-shelter Moth & Processionary Caterpillar Carpenter Moth (Endoxyla cinereus) Chasmina pulchra (White Beauty) Cleora (Geometer Moth) Convolvulus Hawk-moth (Agrius convolvuli) Cossid Moth (Endoxyla leucomochla) Dasypodia selenophora (Southern Old Lady Moth) Destolinia lineata (Caterpillar of the Streaked Notodontid) Diatenes gerula (Erebid Moth) Endoxyla Moth (family Cossidae) Dichromodes sp (Geometer Moth) Gelechioid Moth Godart’s Hawkmoth (Agrius godarti) Helicoverpa punctigera (Australian Fruitworm) Laced Day-Moth (Ipanica cornigera) Leptocneria binotata Mocis alterna (Bean Looper Moth) Owlet Moth (Eudesmeola lawsoni) Owlet Moth (Ophiusa parcemacula) Plume Moth (Pterophoridae) Sameodes cancellalis (Banded Pearl) Yeperenye / Yipirinya

Alice Springs Butterflies & Moths (Lepidopterans)Alice Springs Butterflies Alice Springs Moths

Alice Springs InsectsAntlion (Heoclisis fundata) Ants (Formicidae) Bees Beetles Index Blattodea Butterflies & Moths (Lepidopterans) Cicadas Diptera Dragonflies Mantodea – Mantises Orthoptera – Orthopteroids True Bugs (Heteroptera) Wasps

Alice Springs FaunaAlice Springs Native Bees Alice Springs Beetles Alice Springs Birds Alice Springs Gastropods (Gastropoda) Alice Springs Insects Alice Springs Marsupials Alice Springs Reptiles Alice Springs Spiders

Alice Springs FloraAlice Springs Flora Index Acacia ligulata Annual Yellowtop Bougainvillea Apple Bush Burdekin Plum Carob Tree (Ceratonia siliqa) Cattle Bush Desert Cotton (Aerva javanica) Desert Oak Eremophila Wildberry Feijoa sellowiana Flannel Cudweed Fork-leaf Corkwood Ghost Gum Golden Everlasting Kurrajong Lemon-flowered Gum MacDonnell’s Desert Fuchsia Native Bluebell Native Tomato Needlewood Olive Tree Perennial Yellow Top Rat’s Tail River Red Gum Inland River Red Gum Rosy Dock Round-leaved Mallee Scurvy Grass Silky Eremophila Stemodia viscosa Striped Mintbush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Weeping Bottlebrush White Cedar Yellow Billybutton Yellow-keeled Swainsona Yellow Oleander