Pterophoridae : Pterophorinae
White Plume
PTEROPHORUS pentadactyla (Linnaeus, 1758)
White Plume
PTEROPHORUS pentadactyla (Linnaeus, 1758)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Vernacular Name: White Plume
Wingspan: 25-30mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe-not Spain : Asia Minor-Iran
UK Distribution: Fairly common throughout Britain where its larval food plant is available.
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Dry grassland : Gardens : Woodland clearings : Waste ground
Similar Species -
Larva: The young larvae feed on the underside of the leaf, leaving brown spots, but as they reach final instars the whole leaves are eaten.
Pupa: The slender pale green,off white chrysalis is attached to a leaf of stem of the host plant
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The White plume Moth as its name suggests is the only true white plume moth which makes it easy to identify this unusual moth, and is also one of the largest of the plume moths.
The latin name pentadactyla describes the wing design which consists of five (penta) fingers (dactyl) which are "feathered" to look like a birds wing.
They are able to overlap these fingers at times looking like they have very small wing indeed.
This allows the moth to mimic a Crane Fly or a large Mosquito.
The moth has leg spurs which are very prominent and a feature seen in many other plume moths.(see photo 1)
The moth below was found along a forest ride where Bindweed or Convolvulus grows where it is seen entwining itself throughout the vegetation.
This is why the moth is also encountered along hedgerows much to the gardeners delight.
The White Plume moth is probably the most encountered because of its colour and size and also because it is attracted to light which is why it is often found on the house window.
Moth overwinters as a larva.
Wingspan: 25-30mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe-not Spain : Asia Minor-Iran
UK Distribution: Fairly common throughout Britain where its larval food plant is available.
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Phalaena pentadactyla Linnaeus, 1758
- Phalaena pentadactyla Linnaeus, 1758
- Sweden
Habitat: Dry grassland : Gardens : Woodland clearings : Waste ground
Similar Species -
- None
Larva: The young larvae feed on the underside of the leaf, leaving brown spots, but as they reach final instars the whole leaves are eaten.
Pupa: The slender pale green,off white chrysalis is attached to a leaf of stem of the host plant
Overwinters as: Larva
Observations: The White plume Moth as its name suggests is the only true white plume moth which makes it easy to identify this unusual moth, and is also one of the largest of the plume moths.
The latin name pentadactyla describes the wing design which consists of five (penta) fingers (dactyl) which are "feathered" to look like a birds wing.
They are able to overlap these fingers at times looking like they have very small wing indeed.
This allows the moth to mimic a Crane Fly or a large Mosquito.
The moth has leg spurs which are very prominent and a feature seen in many other plume moths.(see photo 1)
The moth below was found along a forest ride where Bindweed or Convolvulus grows where it is seen entwining itself throughout the vegetation.
This is why the moth is also encountered along hedgerows much to the gardeners delight.
The White Plume moth is probably the most encountered because of its colour and size and also because it is attracted to light which is why it is often found on the house window.
Moth overwinters as a larva.
Photo Gallery
Pupa
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website
where further information like photos,physical
characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal
uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
- Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Convolvulaceae - Bindweed - Morning Glory family
- Calystegia sepium - Hedge Bindweed
- Convolvulus arvensis - Field Bindweed
- Solanaceae - Bedstraw Family
- Solanum melongena - Aubergine
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - PTEROPHORUS: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Pterophoroidea Pterophoridae Pterophorinae PTEROPHORUS Schäffer, 1766 Pterophorus pentadactyla (Linnaeus, 1758) - Phalaena pentadactyla Linnaeus, 1758 - PHALAENA pentadactyla Linnaeus, 1758 = Alucita pentadactyla Linnaeus, 1758 = Phalaena tridactyla Scopoli, 1763 = Pterophorus pentadactylus = Aciptilia Hübner 1825 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title Page : p.542 - n.304 - Sweden |