Tiger moths – or, more specifically, a Painted Lichen Tiger Moth, Hypoprepia fucosa. This colorful little guy showed up yesterday, hanging onto the side of my greenhouse. It was hard to miss the bright orange and black against the grayish plastic. They are generally nocturnal, so it was nice to find one out in the early morning when there was enough light to take a few pictures.
When a moth species has a plant (Painted Lichen) included in its common name, it’s generally because their caterpillars feed on that plant. In the case of lichen moths, their caterpillars feed on – surprise – lichens. In particular this moth feeds on epiphytic lichens – the blue green kind that live on trees and shrubs. (There are several kind of lichens: plant dwelling or epiphytic lichens, ground dwelling or terrestrial lichens, and rock dwelling or saxicolous lichens.)
It is thought that the bright colors of this particular Tiger Moth developed to mimic that of the Monarch butterfly , a was of advertising to potential predators that they are not good to eat – a concept called “aposematic” coloration.
