''Clemensia albata'', the little white lichen moth, is a

moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

of the family

Erebidae The Erebidae are a family (biology), family of moths in the superfamily Noctuoidea. The family is among the largest families of moths by species count and contains a wide variety of well-known macromoth groups. The family includes the underwin ...

. It was described by

Alpheus Spring Packard Alpheus Spring Packard Jr. LL.D. (February 19, 1839 – February 14, 1905) was an American entomologist and palaeontologist. He described over 500 new animal species – especially butterflies and moths – and was one of the founders of '' The ...

in 1864. It is found in eastern North America, west across boreal Canada to south-eastern

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. The range extends along the Pacific Coast south to Monterey Bay in west-central

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The habitat consists of moist forests, including coastal rainforests, oak woodlands and mixed hardwood forests. The length of the forewings is 10–11 mm. Adults are on wing from late June to early September. They have also been recorded feeding on algae.

Subspecies

*''Cissura albata albata'' *''Cissura albata umbrata'' Packard, 1872

References

Cisthenina Moths described in 1864 Moths of North America {{Cisthenina-stub