Bug FAQTwenty-plume Moth
Alucita hexadactyla · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Alucitidae
Also called: Many-plumed Moth, Twenty-plumed Moth
The twenty-plume moth has a wingspan of about 14 to 16 mm and shows a bold zigzag pattern of white, black and brown on its wings, with shiny backward-pointing hairs on each plume. It is common in Eurasian gardens where it is easy to miss because of its tiny size, and its larvae tunnel inside honeysuckle buds and leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The adult’s wings display a striking zigzag of white, black and brown, and each plume ends in shiny hairs that point backward.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures roughly 14 to 16 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is frequently found in garden settings but is often overlooked because it is so small.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on honeysuckle (Lonicera) by tunnelling inside flower buds and leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
It has a single generation per year and can be seen at any time throughout the year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults may appear during any month because the species is single-brooded and year-round.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs across Eurasia.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
North American specimens once thought to be this species are actually different moths.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 4 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Colorado, California, Montana, Wisconsin.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars tunnel into honeysuckle buds and leaves, feeding on the plant tissue.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alucita_hexadactyla
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 2026-10-22.