Common Hyppa

Hyppa xylinoides

August 7, 2003

This moth emerged at around 5PM this evening.  It was just unfurling its wings when I came across it.  The patterns on the wings look as if they were freshly watercolored.

I've been waiting about a month to see what the mystery caterpillar I had found would turn into.

And here is the caterpillar I discovered feeding on the leaves of Crooked-stem Aster (Aster prenanthoides) on July 14.  All I could figure was it was a noctuid of some kind.  Notice the raised thorax, which is how it held itself.

Since I couldn't find any photos to tell me what it was, I brought in inside to rear out.

On July 27, it went into pupation.  It constructed a loose cocoon of silk partially encased within a leaf of its hostplant.

Unfortunately, it had attached itself directly to the top of the container (which was my favorite one).  I carefully detached it and was facinated by its defensive movement.  It spun around and around like a top.