[Full-size image here.]

Many of these moths were visiting the flowers of Clarkia breweri here at around 5pm on a warm, sunny, and calm spring afternoon. (The dark background in the photos is due to artificial contrast from the camera-flash...it was many hours before nightfall.) The C. breweri were growing in a large, dense patch. According to this reference (see pg. 220), Clarkia breweri is unique in the genus in having scented flowers that are moth pollinated.

Adaptation to moth pollination might help to explain the floral morphology here of elongate stamens with pilose anthers and (even more) elongate styles...see images here and here. The geometry of a flower, including positioning of anthers and stigma, can significantly impact the process of pollen deposition on a visiting pollinator, and subsequent pollen delivery to a stigma.

The moth here appears to be extending its long proboscis (or preparing to?) in order to reach for nectar at the base of the perianth (in the cavity between the bases of the filaments and style). This particular flower appears to have already shed its pollen and the stigma is closed, so the moth here did not effect pollination (see 3rd image in this series for more details).

The habitat was a north-facing slope with grassy/forby openings within surrounding chaparral and open oak/gray-pine woodland...all growing on a substrate derived from the ultramafic rock serpentinite. See the CalPhotos posts here for a view of the habitat.

I've run into a number of people studying pollination in Clarkia breweri...so it would be extra nice to obtain an ID for these moths. Thanks to any and all that can assist here.