The Weird and Wonderful Plume Moth

Isn't this a strange looking moth?!!! I was taking pictures of flowers one day when I saw something fly by and land on some grass nearby. When I took a closer look, I was completely confused at what I was seeing. Not a butterfly...not a skipper...but was this actually a moth? After some looking around, I discovered that yes, this IS a moth!

There are over 150 species of Plume Moths in the United States and Mexico, but there are as many as 1000 species worldwide. They get their name for the deep indentations in the wings of many species which very long fringed scales.

If you would like to know more about these odd moths, Wiki has a page here: Wiki: Plume moth

I also found two other sources worth checking out for more pictures and information:

PTEROPHORIDAE OF NORTH AMERICA
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: Plume Moths {Pterophoridae}