Hypena humuli
Encyclopedia
The Hop Looper or Hop Vine Moth (Hypena humuli) is a moth
of the Noctuidae
family. 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.
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 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, including hop, nettle and wood nettle.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Noctuidae
Noctuidae
The Noctuidae or owlet moths are a family of robustly-built moths that includes more than 35,000 known species out of possibly 100,000 total, in more than 4,200 genera. They constitute the largest family in the Lepidoptera....
family. It is found from coast to coast in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
south in the east to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
in the west to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is apparently absent from the south-central states. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
it is only absent from Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
and the far north.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
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 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
Laportea
Laportea is a genus of plants in the family Urticaceae, named after French naturalist François Louis de la Porte, comte de Castelnau.They are herbaceous, either annual or perennial. Like many plants of the Urticaceae, they have stinging hairs, and have stinging and non-stinging hairs on the same...
species, including hop, nettle and wood nettle.