Bug FAQGlossy Black Idia Moth
Idia lubricalis · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Glossy Black Idia, Twin-Striped Tabby
The glossy black idia moth has a wingspan of about 24 to 36 mm and lives in deciduous forests from Canada down to Florida and Texas. Its larvae eat fungi, lichens, and probably other forest floor material like rotting wood and grass. Adults fly from May to September, with several generations each year in the southern part of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Idia lubricalis, called the glossy black idia, belongs to the litter moth group in the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan measures between 24 and 36 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in deciduous forests across a range from Canada to Florida and Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed on a variety of fungi and lichens. They likely also consume other organic matter such as rotting wood and forest floor grass.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active from May through September. In the southern part of its range, the moth produces multiple generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period for adults spans May to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Idia occidentalis was once treated as a subspecies of this moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 48 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Vermont, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, Michigan, Maryland, Ohio.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
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/Idia_lubricalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.