Scarlet-winged lichen moth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scarlet-winged lichen moth |
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The scarlet-winged lichen moth (also known as Hypoprepia miniata) is a beautiful insect. It belongs to the moth family called Erebidae. This moth gets its name from its bright red wings and the fact that its young eat lichen.
A scientist named William Kirby first officially described this moth in 1837. You can find these moths across North America. They live from British Columbia down through the Rocky Mountains to Arizona and Texas. They also live all over the eastern parts of North America.
What Does It Look Like?
The scarlet-winged lichen moth is quite small. Its front wings are usually about 14 to 17 millimeters long. That's about half an inch!
These moths have bright red front wings. They also have two wide, dark gray stripes on each front wing. There's often a shorter stripe between these two wider ones near the edge of the wing. Their back wings are also red. These back wings usually have a wide, dark band along their outer edge.
Where and When Do They Fly?
Adult scarlet-winged lichen moths are active during warmer months. In the western parts of North America, you can see them flying from July to August. If you are in the eastern parts, they fly for a longer period. There, you might spot them from April all the way through September.
Life Cycle and What They Eat
The young moths, called larvae or caterpillars, have a special diet. They love to eat lichen! Lichen is a type of plant-like growth that you often see on trees. These caterpillars especially like lichen that grows on pine trees.
When winter comes, these moths are still in their larval stage. They spend the cold months as caterpillars. This is how they survive until spring arrives and they can continue to grow.
