Bug FAQHimmelman's and Busck's Plume Moths
Geina tenuidactylus · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pterophoridae
Also called: Himmelman's Plume Moth
Source: Wikipedia
Geina tenuidactylus, known as the berry plume moth, belongs to the plume moth family. Its wingspan is about 17 mm. Adults sip nectar from dogbane flowers, while the caterpillars eat buds and leaves of wild and cultivated blackberries.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Geina tenuidactylus is the scientific name of the berry plume moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The moth’s wingspan measures roughly 17 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adult moths have been observed feeding on the flowers of dogbane.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is North America, covering the same regions listed for its habitat.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 21 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Michigan, Montana, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Ohio, Arkansas, Mississippi.
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
Same family (Pterophoridae)
Morning-glory Plume MothEmmelina monodactyla
White Plume MothPterophorus pentadactylaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown Silver-linePetrophora chlorosata
Grape and Sheppard's Plume MothsGeina periscelidactylusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Yarrow Plume MothGillmeria pallidactylaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Plain, Elliott's, and Habeck's Plume MothsHellinsia homodactylusSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geina_tenuidactylus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.