Bug FAQMouse-colored Tiger Moth
Pagara simplex · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Mouse-colored Lichen Moth
The mouse-colored lichen moth has a wingspan of about 23 mm. It lives in North America, recorded from many U.S. states including Alabama, Florida and New Hampshire. Adults can be on the wing throughout the year in the southern part of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its scientific name is Pagara simplex, commonly called the mouse-colored lichen moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures roughly 23 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Oklahoma, Mississippi, North Carolina, Kansas, Alabama, Texas, Florida, Arkansas.
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
When are mouse-colored lichen moths active?
Adults can be seen flying at any time of year in the southern part of their range.
Source: Wikipedia
What does the mouse-colored lichen moth look like?
It is the only species in its genus, Pagara simplex, known as the mouse-colored lichen moth.
Source: Wikipedia
Where in the United States can I find this moth?
It has been recorded from many states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia and New Hampshire.
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/Pagara
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.