2023 September 12 morning

There was no Invert Alert for September 11.

This almost featureless small green caterpillar, found at Blenkinsop Lake yesterday, at first sight would appear to be almost impossible to identify.  But then we notice that it has only three pairs of midabdominal prolegs, and we immediately think of a snout moth, Hypena sp.  Then we notice that it does in fact have four pairs – although the first pair is much reduced.  Also, the foodplant is not nettle – it is Dogwood Cornus stolonifera.  Yet everything about it still looks like Hypena.  These clues quickly lead us to Hypena bijugalis.

The male and female adults moths are very different.  The female in particular is quite a striking creature.  I am not sure, but I think the caterpillar shown below is a female.

Hypena bijugalis  (Lep.: Erebidae -Hypeninae)      Jeremy Tatum