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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Owlet Moths and kin (Noctuoidea) » Erebidae » Tiger and Lichen Moths (Arctiinae) » Lichen Moths (Lithosiini) » Cisthenina » Lycomorpha » Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth - Hodges#8087 (Lycomorpha pholus)

Species Lycomorpha pholus - Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth - Hodges#8087

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth - Lycomorpha pholus Black & Gold moth ID? - Lycomorpha pholus Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth - Lycomorpha pholus black and orange moth - Lycomorpha pholus Lycomorpha pholus black and yellow lichen moth - Lycomorpha pholus Black-and-Yellow Lichen Moth - Lycomorpha pholus Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth - Lycomorpha pholus Lycomorpha pholus
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)
Family Erebidae
Subfamily Arctiinae (Tiger and Lichen Moths)
Tribe Lithosiini (Lichen Moths)
Subtribe Cisthenina
Genus Lycomorpha
Species pholus (Black-and-yellow Lichen Moth - Hodges#8087)
Hodges Number
8087
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Lycomorpha pholus (Drury)
Orig. Comb: Sphinx pholus Drury, 1773
Syn: Phalaena pholus (Drury)
* phylogenetic sequence #930201
Size
Wingspan 25-32 mm (Scott, 2010); body length about 10 mm.
Forewing length 12-15 mm. (1)
Identification
Adult - body and wings bluish-black. Basal portion of wings yellow, orange, or red; distal portion of wings black. Amount of yellow/orange/red varies, according to published photos and illustrations.
Larva - gray dotted with pale green, sparse long hairs, resemble those of Hypoprepia (Forbes, 1960; Dyar, 1897).
Range
Eastern North America to the Rockies, Alberta south to New Mexico - Map (1)
Season
Mostly: June-Sept (MPG)
Food
Larvae feed on lichens. The strictly diurnal adults are often found on flowers of dogbane (Apocynum, Apocynaceae), goldenbush (Ericameria, Asteraceae) and goldenrod (Solidago, Asteraceae). (1)
Life Cycle
May take several years to develop, especially in the north. Hairy cocoons are attached to rocks or tree trunks near the former food source.
Remarks
Central North American specimens are subspecies Lycomorpha pholus miniata and show red on the wings; eastern specimens of the nominate race have the red replaced by yellow (paraphrase of Gerald Fauske, Moths of North Dakota).
The red color pattern is thought to be mimicry of poisonous Lycid beetles, such as Calopteron.
Another possibility is the Elderberry Borer.
See Also
Orange-patched Smoky Moth--Pyromorpha dimidiata
See also the presumed model of the mimicry, the Lycid beetles of genus Calopteron.
Print References
Covell Jr., C.V. 1984. A Field Guide to the Moths of Eastern North America. Houghton Mifflin Company. p.61, plate 11 #16 (2)
Drury, D. 1773. Illustrations of Natural History 3: 49, pl.28 f.3
Dyar, H.G. 1897. The larva of Lycomorpha pholus. Psyche 8: 82-83
Powell, J.A. & P.A. Opler 2009. Moths of Western North America. University of California Press. p.266, pl.46.29m (1)
Scott, C. 2010. Black and yellow lichen moth (suggested common name) Lycomorpha pholus (Drury) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini). University of Florida EENY 479: 1-5, f.1-17 (PDF)
Internet References
Moth Photographers Group - MPG
Butterflies and Moths of North America - BAMONA
distribution in Canada list of provinces (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)
Works Cited
1.Moths of Western North America
Powell and Opler. 2009. UC Press.
2.Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Moths
Charles V. Covell. 1984. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Contributed by Cotinis on 16 October, 2004 - 12:52pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, Chuck Entz, Mike Quinn, marcie oconnor, Randy Hardy
Last updated 30 March, 2019 - 11:44am

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