Hypena humuli

Hypena humuli, the hop looper or hop vine moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Thaddeus William Harris in 1841. It is found from coast to coast in Canada south in the east to Florida and Arkansas in the west to California. It is apparently absent from the south-central states. In Canada it is only absent from Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and the far north.

Hypena humuli
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Erebidae
Genus:	Hypena
Species:	H. humuli
Binomial name
Hypena humuli Harris, 1841
Synonyms
Hypena germanalis Walker, 1859 Hypena evanidalis Robinson, 1870 Hypena olivacea Grote, 1873 Hypena albopunctata Tepper, 1882

The wingspan is 25–32 mm. The moth flies all year round in the south and west and from April to November in the northeast. There are two generations per year northward over most of the east.

The larva, or hop worm, is about an inch long when full grown, of a greenish-white color, watery looking or semi transparent, and slightly striped and dotted, having fourteen legs. The mouth is yellowish, and the tips of the jaws black. The larvae appear early in June, and continue until late in August. They feed on Laportea species, hop, nettle and wood nettle.

References

• Wagner, David L.; Schweitzer, Dale F.; Sullivan, J. Bolling & Reardon, Richard C. (2011). Owlet Caterpillars of Eastern North America. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691150420.
• Moisset, Beatriz (October 30, 2018). "Species Hypena humuli - Hop Vine Moth - Hodges#8461". BugGuide. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
• "930584.00 – 8461 – Hypena humuli – Hop Vine Moth – Harris, 1841". North American Moth Photographers Group. Mississippi State University. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
• "Hop worm" . Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.