Mottled Snout
This next June 30, 2012 moth was another easy one to find in the Peterson Guide to Moths, once I started with the fact that it has an elongated snout.
This is Hypena palparia, which apparently goes by several common names – the Peterson guide calls it the “Mottled Snout”, while BugGuide gives the names “Mottled Bomolocha” and “Variegated Snout-Moth”. And speaking of its snout, here’s a side view.
While it looks pointed from the top, from the side it looks more rounded and substantial. Kind of like Jimmy Durante’s nose.
The males tend to be darker (particularly across the shoulders), so this is most likely a female.
The caterpillars eat trees related to Ironwood, which is pretty common around here. Ironwood is a very hard, dense, strong wood that is good for things like levers, tool handles, and walking sticks, but the trees never get very big because the wood isn’t very rot-resistant.
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As the Schnozz might say, “Insects? I got a million of ’em!”