Bug FAQMottled Snout
Hypena palparia · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Mottled Bomolocha, Mottled Hypena, Variegated Snout-moth, Mottled Bomolocha Moth
The mottled snout moth (Hypena palparia) belongs to the family Erebidae and has a wingspan of about 27 to 33 mm. It lives across North America from the Atlantic coast of Canada to British Columbia and as far south as Alabama and Texas, and the adults are on the wing in June and July. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of American hop-hornbeam and hazel species.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Hypena palparia is commonly called the variegated snout-moth or mottled bomolocha and is a member of the Erebidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from 27 to 33 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat the leaves of Ostrya virginiana (American hop-hornbeam) and various Corylus (hazel) species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults fly from June to July, and in many eastern areas there are at least two generations per year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The moth is active during the early summer months, typically June and July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to North America, covering southern Canada and the United States from the east coast to the west coast.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is a moth of the family Erebidae and is known by the same common names as its scientific name.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 38 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alabama, Vermont, Ohio, Georgia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Massachusetts.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are mottled snout moths active?
Adults are on the wing in June and July, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on the leaves of American hop-hornbeam and hazel plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypena_palparia
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.