Glenn’s plume moth

Glenn’s plume moth is a medium-sized plume moth. It occurs in the eastern half of North America and in California. There are very few records of it. This is likely due in part to the difficulty of identifying most plume moths to species or even to genus. Little descriptive or biological information can be found for this species or for this genus. Larvae bore into and feed in the stems of asters and goldenrods. Adults feed of flower nectar.

Adults have a wingspan of about 1″ (26 mm). The body is long, narrow, and pale tan. It is often mottled with slightly darker tan. Sometimes it is mostly slightly darker tan. There is a tiny dark dot on the upper side of most abdominal segments on most individuals, but this is sometimes barely visible or absent.

The wings are pale tan, sometimes mottled with slightly darker tan. They are held out perpendicular to the body when at rest. The forewings narrow at the base and flared to at least twice as wide at the tip. They are deeply notched at the tip, dividing each wing into two lobes. The leading edge (costal margin) of each forewing is straight for three-quarters of its length, then gently convex to the tip. The inner margin is straight and slightly angles backward at the base, then very gently concave to the tip.

When at rest, the hindwings are folded within the forewing and are not visible from above.

The legs are pale tan and very long. The middle leg has a pair of long spurs at the end of the fourth leg segment (tibia). The hind leg has two pairs of spurs on the tibia, one pair in the middle, one pair at the tip.

Wingspan: about 1″ (26 mm)

Spring through fall

Adults are active at night and will come to lights. They are sometimes found resting on walls or on plants during the day. They rest with their wings spread out at right angles, in a T-shaped profile, like an airplane.

Stems of asters and goldenrods

Flower nectar

Sources

4, 21, 24, 27, 29, 30, 75, 82, 83.

Unknown

There are very few records of Glenn’s plume moth in North America. This is likely due in part to the difficulty of identifying most plume moths to species or even to genus.

The genus Hellinsia was formerly placed in the tribe Pterophorini.

it was resting on the side of my house, around 7:30

Terri Schultz
5/28/2024

Location: Crystal, Mn

it was resting on the side of my house, around 7:30

Location: Andover, Anoka County, MN