Picked up my fourth lep lifer of the year this afternoon: a Platyedra subcinerea, or “Cotton Stem moth”. Or as my wife would say: “yet another boring brown moth”. It was wedged in under the fold of one of my moths sheets. Very pretty shade of brown, if you ask me, and those black marks at the basal point where the forewing meets the thorax really stand out. Sort of reminiscent of a slender Agonopterix.

Platyedra subcinerea is an invasive species from Europe. The larvae feed on mallows among other things – a few species of which we get here on Bowen. Seems like they’re being spotted more frequently the last couple of years here in BC on iNat, so perhaps they’re flourishing. Though it may also be due to the site’s increased popularity and its improved image recognition algorithm, who knows. I’ll be curious to see how well the species fares.