Tree-lichen Beauty

Cryphia algae

Tree-lichen Beauty is a beautiful moth that loves to rest on tree bark. Its wings look like the lichen on trees, helping it hide from predators. This makes it a special friend of the forest!

Hábitat: Forests

Aspecto

The Tree-lichen Beauty is a small, mottled grey, green, and white moth with wings that strikingly mimic the texture and colour of tree lichen. Its irregular wing patterns and frilly edges help it blend seamlessly with bark. This incredible camouflage makes it almost invisible on lichen-covered trees.

ReinoAnimaliaFiloArthropodaClaseInsectaOrdenLepidopteraFamiliaNoctuidaeGéneroCryphia

Tree-lichen Beauty

Categoría

Insectos

Rareza

Common

Peligro

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Snaps

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Datos interesantes

Adult Tree-lichen Beauty moths don't eat at all! They live off energy stored as caterpillars.

Look closely! Sometimes actual tiny fungi grow on their wings, adding to their disguise!

Their caterpillars change color as they grow, perfectly matching the lichen they munch on!

This tiny moth belongs to a family called 'owlet moths,' known for many larger species!

Habilidades especiales

Tree-lichen Beauty can disappear against tree bark because its wings have intricate patterns that perfectly mimic lichen, helping them avoid predators.

Tree-lichen Beauty caterpillars have a specialized diet because they can digest and thrive exclusively on tree lichens, a food source few other insects use.

Tree-lichen Beauty can fly safely at night because its excellent night vision allows it to navigate and find mates in the dark, avoiding diurnal predators.

Medidas y detalles

Envergadura: 25-32 mm
Tamaño: 12-16 mm
Esperanza de vida: 250-365 días
Velocidad de vuelo: 5-15 km/h
Cantidad de patas: 6

Dieta y alimentación

Caterpillars munch on tree lichens, while adult moths do not feed.

Diferencias por edad: Larvae consume lichens, while adult moths do not feed, relying on stored energy from their larval stage.

Alimentos principales

Crustose lichens
Foliose lichens
Tree lichens

Método de búsqueda

Foraging

Conexiones ecológicas

eaten by

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Eats adult moths flying at night.

eaten by

Great Tit

Parus major

Forages for larvae and adult moths on bark.

eats

Common Orange Lichen

Xanthoria parietina

Larvae feed on this and other tree lichens.

Rasgos

Liquen

Este rasgo describe un organismo compuesto resultante de una asociación simbiótica entre un hongo y un socio fotosintético, típicamente un alga o cianobacteria.