Genus Hypsoropha

Hypsoropha Hübner, 1818

From Greek hypso high (1) plus ropha (unknown). The suffix ropha does not correspond to any standard root--perhaps it is a typographic error for Greek morpha, form or grapha marking/writing. The moths do have a peaked appearance (form), but then, they have "high marks", so either is plausible. Perhaps grapha requires a simpler typographic error. There is a related scientific word, Hypsography, increasing the plausibility of the derivation as an error for hypsographa.

Here is a link to the page where the two species are described by Hübner, but there does not seem to be any explanation of the genus name. (Of interest, too, is the original illustration for H. hormos.)

Two North American species (2), both from the eastern United States, have been listed traditionally. A revision of the genus (McCabe, 1992) lists five species, including another nearctic species from Arizona and Mexico, which would give a total of three species for North America.