Painted lichen moth
Hypoprepia fucosa
The painted lichen moth is a small, colourful moth. Its caterpillar has an unusual menu: instead of leaves, it eats lichen, algae and moss growing on tree bark.
Lives in
The United States and southern Canada, east of the Rocky Mountains
Wingspan
2.5 to 3.5 cm (0.98 to 1.4 in)
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It cannot bite or sting.
What does it eat?
The caterpillar eats lichen, algae and moss that grow on trees.
How big is it?
How wide are its wings?
🍚wings as wide as 6 grains of rice in a row⚽could fly across a whole football pitch in 29 seconds
How big is Painted lichen moth compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
Painted lichen moth about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
In the north it flies from May to August, but in warm Florida it may fly almost all year.
2
Lichen is a crusty growth on tree bark, and this caterpillar is happy to munch it.
3
There are a few slightly different kinds of it, called subspecies.
you asked
Most asked questions about Painted lichen moth
?What does the painted lichen moth eat?
Its caterpillar eats lichen, algae and moss on tree trunks and branches.
?How big is the painted lichen moth?
Its wings measure about 2.5 to 3.5 centimetres from tip to tip.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Hypoprepia fucosa
- Named by
- Hübner, 1831
- Group
- Moths
- Family
- Erebidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Erebidae
- Lives on
- North America
Where the facts come from
- Hypoprepia fucosa (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Zygy. CC0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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