Bug FAQPainted Lichen Moth
Hypoprepia fucosa · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
The painted lichen moth has a wingspan of about 25 to 35 mm and belongs to the Erebidae family. It lives east of the Rockies in the United States and southern Canada, where its caterpillars eat lichen, algae and moss on trees. Adults fly from May to August in northern areas and may be present most of the year in Florida.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The painted lichen moth is a member of the family Erebidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 25 to 35 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May through August in northern parts of its range.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In Florida, adults may be active for most of the year.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 41 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, North Carolina, Michigan, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Alabama, Maryland.
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
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/Hypoprepia_fucosa
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.