Wild Guide: Eight-Spotted Forester

Alypia octomaculata

Status

Breeding resident

Size

Wingspan: 1–1½ inches

Distribution

Statewide

Adult eight-spotted foresters are butterflylike moths. They fly during the day, drink from flowers, and even have antennae that are thickened at the tips. They are mostly black with two pale yellow spots on the forewings and two white spots on the hindwings. The front and middle pairs of legs have patches of bright orange hairs. Adults are most often found where wooded areas border open areas. The open areas offer flowers from which the adults drink, while the wooded areas provide the grapevines and Virginia creeper the larvae eat and later use as nests for their eggs.

Human Connections

The caterpillars are herbivores, grazing on vegetation. Though they can be pests on grape leaves, their grazing on Missouri’s innumerable wild grape vines and Virginia creeper is often welcomed. The adults feed like butterflies on flower nectar, serving a role in pollination.

Life Cycle

Adults are commonly seen in spring when they emerge from their cocoons, and again in August when the second brood appears. This species overwinters in the pupal stage, hidden in soil or in crevices in wood. Unlike most other moths, this species flies during the daytime.

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