Amblyptilia pica

"Geranium plume moth" redirects here. For the other moth with this common name, see Sphenarches anisodactylus.

Amblyptilia pica, the geranium plume moth, is a moth of the family Pterophoridae. The species was first described by Baron Walsingham in 1880.^[1] It is found in western North America from Alaska to California, inland to Alberta and Kansas. It is also found in the north-eastern United States and Ontario.^[2]

Geranium plume moth
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Pterophoridae
Genus:	Amblyptilia
Species:	A. pica
Binomial name
Amblyptilia pica (Walsingham, 1880)
Synonyms
Amblyptilus pica Walsingham, 1880 Platyptilia pica Platyptilia monticola Grinnell, 1908 Platyptilia crataea T. B. Fletcher, 1940 Platyptilia pica calisequoiae Lange, 1950 Platyptilia pica marina Lange, 1950 Platyptilia pica sierra Lange, 1950

The wingspan is 18–23 millimetres (0.71–0.91 in).^[3] Adults have dark grey forewings mottled with black. They are on wing in spring and fall and have been recorded feeding on the flower nectar of Salix species.

The larvae feed on Scrophulariaceae, Geraniaceae, Primulaceae, Labiatae and Caprifoliaceae species, including Castilleja species, Pedicularis furbishiae and Scrophularia californica, Penstemon whippleanus.^[4] and mine the leaves. The species overwinters as an adult.

Taxonomy

A number of subspecies has been described, but it is unclear which, if any, are still valid:

• Amblyptilia pica pica
• Amblyptilia pica calisequoiae (Lange, 1950)
• Amblyptilia pica marina (Lange, 1950)
• Amblyptilia pica sierrae (Lange, 1950)
• Amblyptilia pica monticola (Grinnell, 1908)
• Amblyptilia pica crataea (T. B. Fletcher, 1940)