Plume Moth

Description:

The adult wings are very slender, held at right-angles to body when at rest, giving a T-shaped profile. The forewing outer margin deeply notched; hindwing has three deep lobes, often fringed but usually concealed beneath forewing when at rest. The legs are long, slender (hind tibia two to three times longer than femur), sometimes with projecting spines at joints; abdominal terga 2 and 3 generally elongated. The larva is usually hairy or bristly, variously colored.

Habitat:

Their range is throughout most of North America, and many other regions of the world. The adults fly from spring through fall; may be active all year in the far south and are commonly found on flowers of herbaceous plants during the day , feeding on nectar and pollen of various herbaceous plants, but are also nocturnal and come to light. Larvae are leafrollers or stem borers of various herbaceous plants. Eisner (1) describes the remarkable caterpillar of one species, Trichoptilus parvulus, that feeds on the leaves of Pink Sundew (Drosera capillaris), a carnivorous plant.

Notes:

Found under the porch light. This little thing was probably about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long and wide. There are 147 species in 26 genera in North America. A distinctive family of moths, but difficult to identify to genus or species.