Platyptilia carduidactyla
Encyclopedia
The Artichoke Plume Moth (Platyptilia carduidactyla) is a moth
of the family Pterophoridae. It is found in North America
, from Mexico
north into the United States
.
The wingspan
is 19-32 mm. Adults are on wing in July in Mexico and from May to September further north.
The larvae feed on Arctium, Carduus
, Cirsium
, Cynara
and Silybum species. They are a pest of Cynara scolymus. The females lay their eggs on the bottom side of Artichoke
plants. The caterpillars can cause considerable damage.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the family Pterophoridae. It is found in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
north into the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 19-32 mm. Adults are on wing in July in Mexico and from May to September further north.
The larvae feed on Arctium, Carduus
Carduus
Carduus is a genus of about 90 species of thistles in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe, Asia and Africa. Carduus is Latin for a thistle....
, Cirsium
Cirsium
Cirsium is a genus of perennial and biennial flowering plants in the Asteraceae, one of several genera known commonly as thistles. They are more accurately known as Plume thistles. These differ from other thistle genera in having feathered hairs to their achenes...
, Cynara
Cynara
Cynara is a genus of about 10 species of thistle-like perennial plants in the family Asteraceae, originally from the Mediterranean region, northwestern Africa, and the Canary Islands....
and Silybum species. They are a pest of Cynara scolymus. The females lay their eggs on the bottom side of Artichoke
Artichoke
-Plants:* Globe artichoke, a partially edible perennial thistle originating in southern Europe around the Mediterranean* Jerusalem artichoke, a species of sunflower with an edible tuber...
plants. The caterpillars can cause considerable damage.