Species Dejongia lobidactylus - Lobed Plume Moth - Hodges#6102

6102

Dejongia lobidactylus (Fitch, 1854)

formerly Trichoptilus lobidactylus (and originally placed in genus Pterophorus)

* Phylogenetic sequence #182200.

One of two species found in America north of Mexico. *List by Debbie Matthews at plumemoth.com

See identification key for Oxyptilini.

Adult: forewing bilobed, brown with white patches - distinguishing features include horizontal white strip on upper half of upper lobe at apex, and vertical white strip on lower half of lower lobe near apex; top of thorax brown with white posterior border; top of abdomen brown with dark brown patches near middle, and four pairs of short white streaks straddling midline; hindwing with three deeply-incised lobes (hindwing completely hidden beneath forewing in live moths at rest); hindleg white with tufted brown "collar" and long projecting white spine at each joint; antennae white with narrow dark rings on basal half, and wide dark rings on distal half.

Genitalia:

Northeastern United States plus Quebec and Ontario.

(list at Dalton State College [listed under Trichoptilus] indicates a range including Florida, but the species does not appear on the list of Florida Lepidoptera)

Adults fly from June to August.

It is known to feed on goldenrods.

Page creation based on Debbie Matthews' identification of this image - (a link to the BugGuide image is given under Dejongia lobidactylus on her page here)

Moth Photographers Group - range map, photos of living and pinned adults.

live adult image (Bev Wigney, Ontario)

BOLD - Barcode of Life Data Systems - collection map and photos of pinned adults.

presence in Ontario listed under Trichoptilus (NHIC; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources)

presence in Michigan; PDF doc list listed under Trichoptilus (Mogens Nielsen, Michigan State U.)