Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFPterophoridae Members: Paraplatyptilia Members: 1 NC Records

Paraplatyptilia auriga (Barnes & Lindsey, 1921) - False Foxglove Plume Moth

Paraplatyptilia auriga
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pterophoroidea		 Family:
Pterophoridae		P3 Number:
63a0030		 MONA Number:
6127.00
Comments: Paraplatyptilia auriga is a member of the 'Paraplatyptilia auriga species complex', which in eastern North America includes three morphologically similar species. Two of these (P. sabourini and P. watkinsi) were described by Gielis (2008) and are currently only known in the US from areas outside of North Carolina (P. sabourini in Wisconsin, and P. watkinsi in Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont and Missouri). Although this suggests that the only member in North Carolina is P. auriga, we cannot rule out that the other two species might occur within the state, particularly in the Blue Ridge. We are currently treating members of the complex in North Carolina as P. auriga, with the understanding that additional studies are needed based on genitalia and DNA barcoding to better resolve the distribution of all three members of the complex in the eastern US.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable only by close inspection of structural features or by DNA analysis.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution:
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Paraplatyptilia aurigaAlamance 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: Host plants are apparently undocumented. BugGuide lists false foxglove (Gerardia), but the source they provide for this claim says that the larval stages are unknown. - View
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks:
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Paraplatyptilia auriga - False Foxglove Plume Moth

Photos: 1
Paraplatyptilia auriga
Recorded by: David George, Stephen Dunn, Jeff Niznik on 2023-07-31
Macon Co.
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