Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFPterophoridae Members: Amblyptilia Members: 9 NC Records

Amblyptilia pica (Walsingham, 1880) - Geranium Plume Moth

Amblyptilia picaAmblyptilia picaAmblyptilia picaAmblyptilia pica
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pterophoroidea		 Family:
Pterophoridae		Subfamily:
Pterophorinae		Tribe:
Platyptiliini		P3 Number:
63a0051		 MONA Number:
6118.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Identifiable from photographs (D. Lott, pers. comm. to JBS).
Structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Amblyptilia picaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats:
Larval Host Plants: Reported hosts include snapdragons (Antirrhinum), Geranium, milk-thistle (Silybum), and hedge-nettle (Stachys) (Robinson et al., 2010; Beadle & Leckie, 2012). In North Carolina, we have a rearing record for Scarlet Beebalm (Monarda didyma). - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
State Protection:
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Amblyptilia pica - Geranium Plume Moth

Photos: 10
Amblyptilia pica
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2025-09-18
Madison Co.
Comment: Specimen was dissected (male).		Amblyptilia pica
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2025-02-06
Buncombe Co.
Comment:
Amblyptilia pica
Recorded by: Emily Stanley on 2024-10-18
Buncombe Co.
Comment: 		Amblyptilia pica
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-03
Buncombe Co.
Comment: Adult was reared from a larva in a flower head of Monarda didyma; larva on August 5; adult emerged on Sept 3; hindwings were malformed. Id based on genitalia.
Amblyptilia pica
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2023-09-03
Buncombe Co.
Comment: Adult was reared from a larva in a flower head of Monarda didyma; larva on August 5; adult emerged on Sept 3; hindwings were malformed. Id based on genitalia. 		Amblyptilia pica
Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2023-05-31
Transylvania Co.
Comment:
Amblyptilia pica
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2022-03-03
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Amblyptilia pica
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2021-06-03
Madison Co.
Comment:
Amblyptilia pica
Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2020-03-19
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Amblyptilia pica
Recorded by: J.B. Sullivan on 2001-05-20
Haywood Co.
Comment: