Libytheana carinenta, the American or Common Snout Butterfly, is a member of the Libytheinae subfamily, in the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae. This species is found in both North and South America. The larval host plant is Celtis on which the eggs are laid singly. Massive migrations of this species often attract attention in the Texas and Mexican newspapers.
Snout butterflies have prominent elongated mouthparts (labial palpi) which, in concert with the antennae, give the appearance of the petiole (stem) of a dead leaf. Snouts often take advantage of their brilliant camouflage by hanging upsidedown under a twig, making them nearly invisible. Wings are patterned black-brown with white and orange markings. The fore wings have a distinctive squared off, hook-like (falcate) tip. Caterpillars appear humpbacked, having a small head, swollen first and second abdominal segments, and a last abdominal segment that is tapered and rounded. They are dark green with yellow stripes along the top and sides of the body, and have two black tubercles on the top of the thorax.
External links
- Tree of Life Libytheinae
- American Snout Butterfly: Reference quality large format closeup photographs Cirrus Digital Imaging
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Last updated on Saturday June 21, 2008 at 21:48:56 PDT (GMT -0700)
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