Buttoned Snout
Hypena rostralis
Its prominent 'snout' is actually made of elongated mouthparts called palps, which help it mimic a broken twig or dry leaf to fool predators.
- Scientific name
- Hypena rostralis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Erebidae › Hypena
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, hedgerows, gardens, and riverbanks where wild hops grow.
- Diet
- Caterpillars feed exclusively on Hop (Humulus lupulus) leaves; adults feed on nectar and overripe fruit.
- Range
- Europe, Central Asia, Siberia
- Size
- Wingspan of 27–32 mm
- Lifespan
- Up to 1 year
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Removal of wild hop plants, intensive agricultural pesticide use, and loss of hedgerow habitats.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless. If encountered indoors, gently trap it using a glass and a piece of card to release it outside near leafy vegetation. They are sensitive to bright lights at night.
The Buttoned Snout (Hypena rostralis) is a moth of the family Noctuoidea. It is found in Europe.
Photo: Edmundas Greimas, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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