Bug FAQSage Plume Moth
Anstenoptilia marmarodactyla · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pterophoridae
Also called: Moth
The sage plume moth has a wingspan of about 16 to 18 mm and belongs to the plume-moth family Pterophoridae. It is native from California and Arizona through Mexico to Costa Rica, and it has been introduced to Hawaii. Larvae feed on a variety of plants such as sage, mint, and lantana, and adults are seen from May to September depending on the region.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Anstenoptilia marmarodactyla is a moth in the family Pterophoridae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 16 to 18 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs naturally in California, Arizona, Mexico, and down to Costa Rica. It has also been introduced to Hawaii.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on plants such as Ageratum, Salvia, Agastache, mint species, Pycnanthemum, Monardella, Scrophularia, and Lantana.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight periods are May and September in Central America and July through November in the Nearctic realm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes California and Arizona in the United States, extending south through Mexico to Costa Rica.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 20 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Hawaii.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What plants do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on Ageratum, Salvia, Agastache, mint, Pycnanthemum, Monardella, Scrophularia, and Lantana species.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pterophoridae)
Morning-glory Plume MothEmmelina monodactylaDamages trees, gardens or crops
White Plume MothPterophorus pentadactylaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown Silver-linePetrophora chlorosata
Belfrage's Plume MothPselnophorus belfragei
Artichoke Plume MothPlatyptilia carduidactylusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Ragweed Plume MothAdaina ambrosiaeDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anstenoptilia_marmarodactyla
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.