About Hypena californica Butler, 1870
Hypena californica, commonly known as the California cloverworm moth or western bomolocha, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. Its scientific name was first published by Butler in 1870, and it is assigned the MONA, or Hodges, number 8462. The larvae of this species are food specialists that feed mainly on Urtica species, which are commonly called nettles. Most confirmed sightings of Hypena californica are concentrated along the West coast of North America, ranging from southern California in the south to southern British Columbia in the north. A smaller number of sightings have been recorded further inland, along the western edge of Idaho. Within its range, this moth is fairly common. It typically inhabits coastal rainforests and mixed hardwood forests at relatively low elevations. At higher mountain elevations, it prefers to occupy riparian zones.
