Moths of North Carolina
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1072 NC Records

Hypena scabra (Fabricius, 1798) - Green Cloverworm Moth

Taxonomy
Superfamily: Noctuoidea Family: ErebidaeSubfamily: HypeninaeP3 Number: 930588.00 MONA Number: 8465.00
Comments: One of 29 species in this genus that occur in North America north of Mexico (Lafontaine and Schmidt, 2010). Fifteen species have been recorded in North Carolina.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (1984; as Plathypena scabra); Beadle and Leckie (2012)Online Photographs: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLD                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The forewings typically have a dark medial patch located below the costa, bordered to the front and towards the inner margin by a paler brown shade; females are typically lighter and more mottled than the males. Both the orbicular and reniform are marked by raised black scales and the most conspicuous mark is a straight, raised row of black scales that forms the lower part of the postmedian line (Forbes, 1954). The upper portion of this line is more angular, with a rearward point below the cell that is somewhat similar but not as pronounced as that in Hypena humuli. Hindwings are grayish-brown.

This species and H. humuli differ from other members of this genus in their possession of tufts of black scales at the orbicular and reniform spots and, in the case of scabra, by a straight-running lower portion of the postmedian that is also composed of raised scales.
Forewing Length: 25-33 mm (Forbes, 1954)
Adult Structural Features: The hindwings are half-again as wide as the forewings (Forbes, 1954). The inner margin of the forewing is sinuous rather than straight, as it is in the other members of this genus.
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Found throughout the state, from Mt. Mitchell to the Outer Banks.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge
Flight Comments: This species flies throughout the year and can be common even in mid-winter.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: This is one of our most ubiquitous and omnipresent species. Habitats range from maritime dunes and forests on the barrier islands to high elevation stands of northern hardwoods.
Larval Host Plants: Polyphagous. Larvae show a preference for members of the pea family but also feed on a wide range of other forbs, shrubs, and trees (Wagner et al., 2011) - View
Wikipedia
See also Habitat Account for General Mixed Habitats
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: G5 S5
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments:

 Photo Gallery for Hypena scabra - Green Cloverworm Moth

513 photos are available. Only the most recent 30 are shown.

Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2024-04-21
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2024-04-19
Cabarrus Co.
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Recorded by: R. Newman on 2024-04-18
Carteret Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-04-14
Orange Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-13
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-04-08
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-06
Brunswick Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-04-02
Wilson Co.
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Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-03-31
Madison Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-31
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Andrew W. Jones on 2024-03-30
Polk Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-23
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-03-17
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-17
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik on 2024-03-16
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-15
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: John Petranka, Chuck Smith on 2024-03-14
Bladen Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2024-03-14
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Dean Furbish on 2024-03-13
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-10
Brunswick Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-03-07
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-03-07
Wake Co.
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Recorded by: Chuck Smith on 2024-03-05
Davidson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: K. Bischof on 2024-03-05
Transylvania Co.
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Recorded by: Dean Furbish and Joy Wiggins on 2024-03-05
Wake Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, Stephen Dunn on 2024-03-03
Orange Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Mark Basinger on 2024-03-03
Wilson Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: David George, Becky Watkins on 2024-02-27
Durham Co.
Comment:
Recorded by: Stephen Dunn on 2024-02-26
Orange Co.
Comment: 		Recorded by: Jim Petranka on 2024-02-22
Madison Co.
Comment: