Bug FAQDark Gray Lichen Moth
Crambidia lithosioides · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The dark gray lichen moth belongs to the family Erebidae. It lives in the southeastern United States, from North Carolina down to Florida and west to Kentucky and Mississippi. Its caterpillars feed on lichens.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Crambidia lithosioides is a moth in the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The larvae eat lichens.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes the southeastern United States, specifically North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, and Mississippi.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 13 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the larvae of the dark gray lichen moth eat?
The caterpillars feed on lichens.
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 acreaDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crambidia_lithosioides
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-26 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-26.