Moth (Plume) Species unknown
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pterophoridae
Genus: Platyptilia
Species: P. unknown about 20 species in New Zealand.
The Pterophoridae or plume moths are a family of Lepidoptera with unusually modified wings. Though they belong to the Apoditrysia like the larger moths and the butterflies, unlike these they are tiny and were formerly included among the assemblage called Microlepidoptera".
Plume moths are small delicate weak flying night moths with very long legs and thin body. The forewings of plume moths usually consist of two curved spars with more or less bedraggled bristles trailing behind. The usual resting posture is with the wings extended laterally and narrowly rolled up in a T shape. Often they resemble a piece of dried grass, and may pass unnoticed by potential predators even when resting in exposed situations in daylight. Some species have larvae which are stem or root borers while others are leaf-browsers.
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