Painted Lichen Moth vs Ash Whitefly Parasitoid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Painted Lichen Moth Ash Whitefly Parasitoid
Scientific Name Hypoprepia fucosa Encarsia inaron
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Arctiidae Eulophidae
Size 25-33 mm wingspan 0.5-1 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Parasitoids
Regions Eastern North America Europe, Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Painted Lichen Moth

A small moth with distinctive grey forewings bearing bright red-orange stripes running from base to tip. It is one of the lichen moths, whose larvae feed on lichens and algae.

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Did You Know?

Its bold warning coloration advertises chemical defenses derived from the lichen compounds its larvae consume.

Ash Whitefly Parasitoid

A minute parasitoid wasp that attacks whitefly nymphs on ash trees and other hosts. It was introduced to California to control the ash whitefly.

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Did You Know?

It successfully eliminated ash whitefly as a pest in southern California within just a few years of introduction.