Bug FAQBlack-and-yellow Lichen Moth
Lycomorpha pholus · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The black-and-yellow lichen moth has a wingspan of about 25 to 32 mm. Its larvae feed on lichen and look like the lichen they eat.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Lycomorpha pholus is the scientific name for the black-and-yellow lichen moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 25 to 32 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They inhabit short-grass prairie areas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on lichen and are camouflaged to resemble their host.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Lycomorpha pholus belongs to the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs in North America, from Nova Scotia down to North Carolina and westward to South Dakota and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 42 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, New York, Virginia, Vermont, Colorado, Maine, Pennsylvania, Tennessee.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on lichen and look like the lichen they consume.
Source: Wikipedia
What family does Lycomorpha pholus belong to?
It is a member of the moth family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycomorpha_pholus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.