Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFPterophoridae Members: Pselnophorus Members: 46 NC Records

Pselnophorus belfragei (Fish, 1881) - Belfrage's Plume Moth

Pselnophorus belfrageiPselnophorus belfrageiPselnophorus belfragei
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Pterophoroidea		 Family:
Pterophoridae		P3 Number:
63a0075		 MONA Number:
6154.00
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: Forewings vary from whitish with scattered brown and gray scales to dark gray-brown with some whitish scales (Barnes and Lindsey, 1921). Spots are variable but there is usually one in the middle of the cell; an oblique streak before the cleft; two spots on the costa and one at the apex of both lobes. The abdomen is the most distinctive feature of this species. The ground color varies from light ochraceous to dark brown, with two conspicuous "silky white" lines located subdorsally, bordered "more or less" by black dashes. Similar lines exist along the sides.
Wingspan: 13-19 mm (Barnes and Lindsey, 1921)
Adult Structural Features: In their key to the genera of the Pterophoridae, Barnes and Lindsey (1921) distinguish Pselnophorus as lacking vein R3 in the forewing; possessing vein C1; veins R4 and R5 short-stalked; and with vein R2 stalked with R4. However, they also note that the venation is highly variable.
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.
Pselnophorus belfrageiAlamance 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: Larvae have apparently not been observed in the wild, but captive-reared larvae fed on Carolina Pony's-foot (Dichondra carolinensis) (Matthews et al., 1990), a species that occurs in areas where this moth has been observed in North Carolina. - 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 Pselnophorus belfragei - Belfrage's Plume Moth

 52 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-13
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-12
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-09
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-06-09
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-05-07
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2025-04-24
Brunswick Co.
Comment: Male (dissected); FWL = 7 mm.
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-27
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-09-26
Wilson Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: David George on 2024-08-29
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Lior S. Carlson, Dean Furbish on 2024-08-13
Pamlico Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Dean Furbish, Lior S. Carlson on 2024-08-13
Pamlico Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2024-07-25
Durham Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: David George on 2024-06-20
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2024-05-05
Durham Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-04-29
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: R. Newman on 2024-03-14
Carteret Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: R. Newman on 2023-12-09
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2023-10-02
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: David George on 2023-09-20
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Andrew W. Jones on 2023-09-07
Polk Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: John Petranka on 2023-07-04
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: John Petranka on 2022-09-03
Orange Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson, Stephen Dunn on 2022-06-18
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-05-31
Durham Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: David George, L. M. Carlson on 2022-05-31
Durham Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Mark Basinger on 2022-04-15
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Dean Furbish on 2021-12-30
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Simpson Eason on 2021-12-05
Durham Co.
Comment:
Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: R. Newman on 2021-10-13
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Pselnophorus belfrageiRecorded by: Ken Kneidel on 2021-10-02
Mecklenburg Co.
Comment: