Little White Lichen Moth

Scientific Name: Clemensia albata
Folk Name: Little White Lichen Moth

It was a sunny yet chilly day last week Wednesday when I stumbled upon an annoying "white thing" nagging me as I was walking to class. I paused to watch this tiny insect live its' life for just a moment being curious as to what it was. The fly of some sort decided to pose for my cameraphone as soon as I decided to use this mysterious insect for the blog. I've always thought they were butterflies, but my friend assumed it had to be a moth. As soon as I got to the Google homepage, my mind was blank and I didn't know what to type in the search box since I never learned about this insect. After using descriptive adjectives, I finally found a picture that had the exact moth that I had in my picture.

The pattern on the moth's wings are captivating. How could such a small, "annoying" insect be so beautiful and interesting at the same time? The creases in the wings resembles the wrinkles on a human's skin. A sort of wavy line flows through the wings which makes the little moth more definitive. The moth is the size of your standard flashdrive (maybe even smaller) and is as light as a piece of paper. The color can vary, but I've seen an off-white moth Wednesday.

The moths are known to be seen more from June to September. So watch out and pay close attention to your surroundings, you might get a chance to see this little mysterious insect.

Family: Arctiidae
Common Family: Tiger moths
Food: The larvae feed on lichens (fungus that grows on leaflike or crust liemt hings such as rocks, trees, etc.).