The Mottled Hypena has a 1.25 inch wingspan. The forewing has a broad dark brown band across it that extends to the inner margin. The lighter areas have mottling above and below the dark band. The hindwing is variably light to dark grayish-brown. This moth was identified by volunteer experts at the BugGuide website.
The frequency of occurrence is not known. The individual shown here was photographed at Fontenelle Forest in early August.
The larval food plants are American hornbeam, hazel and hop hornbeam. The caterpillars are elongate and green with reduced prolegs on A3 and hind prolegs that splay outward from the rear of the body. Twelve species of Hypena occur in eastern North America.
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