Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 12, 2026

Lycomorpha pholus

Lycomorpha pholus, the black-and-yellow lichen moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae. It is found in North America from Nova Scotia to North Carolina, west to South Dakota and Texas. The habitat consists of short-grass prairie.

Last revised
Jun 12, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
136 w
Citations
4
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Lycomorpha pholus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Subfamily: Arctiinae
Genus: Lycomorpha
Species:
L. pholus
Binomial name
Lycomorpha pholus
(Drury, 1773)1
Synonyms
  • Sphinx pholus Drury, 1773
  • Phalaena pholus
  • Lycomorpha miniata Packard, 1872

Lycomorpha pholus, the black-and-yellow lichen moth, is a moth in the family Erebidae. It is found in North America from Nova Scotia to North Carolina, west to South Dakota and Texas.2 The habitat consists of short-grass prairie.3

The wingspan is 25–32 mm.

The larvae feed on lichen and resemble their host.4

Subspecies

  • Lycomorpha pholus pholus
  • Lycomorpha pholus miniata Packard, 1872 (central North American)
References

References

  1. mothphotographersgroup
  2. Butterflies and Moths of North America
  3. Robinson, E. & Schmidt, B. C. "Species Details: Lycomorpha pholus". University of Alberta Museums. E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  4. Bug Guide