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| You can see this American snout taking a "sip" of water with its proboscis. |
Why Does the American Snout Have a Snout?
The snout is part of the butterfly's camouflage and is used to help it to look like a dead leaf as it perches on twigs. American Snouts hold their wings together upright and hold their antennae and palps downward to look like a petiole which is the stalk that holds a leaf to a branch. Helping to enhance this appearance is the muted brown coloring of the wings when they are held upright.
Habitat: Woodlands, Gardens, Roadsides, Riverbanks, Streams
Larval Host: Hackberry
Nectar Food: A variety of flowers including aster, dogwood and goldenrod.
Flight Period: June through September
Location: American Snouts are found throughout much of the eastern United States along with some parts west and south into Mexico. Many of the northern locales may be breeding grounds but not permanent residences as American Snouts do migrate. For instance, some naturalists feel the American snout migrates to Ohio each summer and is not a breeding resident. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) feels this is probably accurate since the numbers of the American Snout vary from year to year. ODNR feels that the American Snout does breed in the state but is only able to survive mild winters.
Fun Fact: This is the only butterfly species originally described from Ohio; Cleveland naturalist, Jared P. Kirkland, described it in 1852.
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| Notice how much this American snout resembles a dead leaf. |
