Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Hypena humuli Harris, 1841
Explanation of Names
HUMULI: refers to Humulus, the hop genus, one of the larval foodplants
Numbers
generally uncommon; much less common than the very similar and abundant
Green Cloverworm Moth (
Hypena scabra)
Size
length is 14-20 mm, wingspan is 25-30 mm
Identification
Adult: forewing appearance variable but usually with this pattern - dark brown to blackish in upper half except for pale brown patch along distal half of costa, and lighter brown in lower half (along inner margin); dark streak runs from apex to reniform spot; subterminal line consists of several dark dots; PM line with large sharp tooth near costa, and smaller teeth toward inner margin; lacks thin black horizontal line midway along inner margin; hindwing pale brownish-yellow; labial palps long, as in other Hypena species
Larva: body light grayish-green with thick black dorsal stripe edged in white; head black
Range
coast-to-coast in northern United States and southern Canada, south in the east to Florida, south in the west to California
apparently absent from southcentral states (missing from three Texas lists [
1,
2,
3] and Bruce Walsh's
Arizona list)
in Canada, absent only from Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and the far north
Habitat
fields, weedy areas, waste places; adults are nocturnal and attracted to light
Season
adults fly all year in the south and west; April to November in the northeast
Life Cycle
at least three generations per year
See Also
Sooty Hypena Moth -
Hypena minualis
Green Cloverworm Moth -
Hypena scabra - whose forewing has a thin black horizontal line midway along inner margin, and a dark diagonal streak from apex to inner margin (rather than from apex to reniform spot). Male genitalia different.
Hypena californica forewing has scalloped outer margin, and PM line lacks large tooth near costa - compare images of this and other related species at
MPG
Print References
Walker, [1859]; List Spec. Lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus. 16:
35Internet References
pinned adult image by Jeff Miller, plus description, distribution, flight season, foodplant (Macromoths of Northwest Forests and Woodlands, USGS)
live adult images plus description, foodplants, flight season, life cycles (Lynn Scott, Ontario)
pinned adult image by John Glaser, plus status in Maryland (Larry Line, Maryland)
pinned adult image and technical description (California Dept. of Food and Agriculture)
distribution in Canada list of provinces (U. of Alberta, using CBIF data)
presence in California; list (U. of California at Berkeley)
presence in Florida; list plus common name reference [Hop Looper; larva] (John Heppner, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)
status in Ohio plus foodplants and flight season (Ohio State U.)
