American Snout

  • Family name: Nymphalidae/Brush-Footed Butterflies
  • General description: brown with orange patches; forewing with white spots toward extended and squared-off apex. Ventral hindwing highly variable from uniform purplish-brown to heavily mottled gray-brown. Head with long, extended labial palpi
  • Field Marks: brown with orange patches; forewing apex extended and squared off; forewing apex with white spots; long labial palpi
  • Sexes: appear similar
  • Wingspan: 35-48 mm
  • Life Cycle: Egg: small, yellow, laid singly in leaf axils of host Mature larva: green with yellow lateral line and two small black spots on thorax Chrysalis: green
  • Number of Generations: three or more
  • Flight Season: February-October
  • Abundance: Common
  • Habitat: forest margins, stream corridors, deciduous woodlands, shrubby sites
  • Counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, De Soto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
  • Larval Host Plants: hackberry (Celtis laevigata)
  • Similar Species: No similar species
  • Additional Information: Namesake labial palpi distinguish species from all other similar butterflies; rarely found in south Florida. Range is limited in California and Colorado.

Florida wildflower vehicle license plateThe Florida Wildflowers & Butterflies projects at the Florida Museum are sponsored in part by the State of Florida and the Florida Wildflower Foundation, Inc.