Adult a small moth, less than an inch across. Body and wings bluish black to blakc. Orange patches at front outside of each forewing. Flies by day in earlyt summer. Feed on nectar.

Larvae reported to feed on fallen leaves, especially those of oaks.

Found in the eastern and central United states in deciduous forests and adjacent fields and meadows.

The Black-and-Orange Lichen Moth (Lycomorpha pholus) is similar except that the orange patches cover the entire front of the wings, rather than being confined to patches.

In nature, dramatic black and orange coloration often means either the animal is toxic to eat (think poison arrow frogs and monarch butterflies) or not to be messed with (think coral snakes and yellow jackets). The orange-patched smoky moth has been reported to contain toxic compounds which might poison animals that eat it. . They mitght also mimic toxic Lycid beetles, which are of similar size and shape, but have stripes of orange and black on the forewing..