P. tesseradactyla has similar forewings but has a different pattern on the abdomen, its posterior legs are striped with brown rather than “cream color, brownish just before the spurs” as is P. albicans, and its white line that crosses the fissure is not as broad. Another somewhat similar species in my area is Gillmeria pallidactyla, and it is just as different as P. tesseradactyla, and in many of the same ways. Platyptilia albicans is a fairly unique-looking moth and I think this specimen is a good example.
THE PTEROPHORIDA OF NORTH AMERICA. C. H. FERNALD, A.M., PH.D. REVISED EDITION July 30, 1898. pg.
32
“Expanse of wings, 22 mm. Head and thorax cream color, frontal tuft short and blunt. Palpi extending beyond frontal tuft, slightly ascending. Antennœ cinnamon brown, dotted above with white. Abdomen ochreous, lighter at base. Legs whitish, anterior and middle femora and tibia cinnamon brown, sprinkled with whitish scales; tarsi cinereous, first two segments whitish interiorly; posterior tibia cream color, brownish just before the spurs. Fore wings creamy white along the hind margin, on the costa cinnamon brown; costal triangular spot cinnamon brown, bordered outwardly above the fissure by a broad white line; below the fissure its apex is continuous with the brownish color of the second lobe. Both lobes cinnamon brown, with a transverse white line not reaching the hind margin of the second lobe. Fringes cream color, sprinkled with cinnamon brown. Hind wings cinnamon brown, with fringes concolorous.”
BG comparison image:
Comparison images at
BOLD
Attracted to light. This species was collected in my county July 5, 2010 by K. Richers.