Platyptilia williamsii
Encyclopedia
The Calendula Plume Moth (Platyptilia williamsii) is a moth
of the Pterophoridae family. It is known from western North America
, including California
.
The head and thorax have mixed ochreous-brown and whitish scales. The antennae are brown dotted above. The forewings are ochreous-brown with dark brown patches, with white irroration forming a trace of transverse wavy lines and dotting the brown costa. The fringes are brownish grey with whitish bases containing brown and white scales. The hindwings and fringes are grey-brown.
The larvae feed on Calendula
species, as well as Senecio aronicoides
and Senecio jacobaea.
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 Pterophoridae family. It is known from western 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...
, including California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
The head and thorax have mixed ochreous-brown and whitish scales. The antennae are brown dotted above. The forewings are ochreous-brown with dark brown patches, with white irroration forming a trace of transverse wavy lines and dotting the brown costa. The fringes are brownish grey with whitish bases containing brown and white scales. The hindwings and fringes are grey-brown.
The larvae feed on Calendula
Calendula
Calendula , pot marigold, is a genus of about 12–20 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family Asteraceae, native to the area from Macaronesia east through the Mediterranean region to Iran...
species, as well as Senecio aronicoides
Senecio aronicoides
Senecio aronicoides is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name rayless ragwort. It is native to Oregon and northern and central California, where it can be found in the woodlands and forests of mountains and foothills, often in relatively dry habitat...
and Senecio jacobaea.