''Alypia octomaculata'', the eight-spotted forester, is a

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

of the family

Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly changing, along with the other f ...

first described by

Johan Christian Fabricius Johan Christian Fabricius (7 January 1745 – 3 March 1808) was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others. He was a student of Carl Linnaeus, and is cons ...

in 1775. It is native to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, but can be found today throughout

Northern America Northern America is the northernmost subregion of North America. The boundaries may be drawn slightly differently. In one definition, it lies directly north of Middle America (including the Caribbean and Central America).Gonzalez, Joseph. 20 ...

, ranging between

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

and

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. Their habitats being rather specific, they make home where wooded areas meet open fields.

Description

Full grown larvae reach up to . The moth is overall black with two spots on each wing (total of eight spots), it's forewing ranges between shades of white, cream, or yellow. Their

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

is around . These moths are active during the day and night, often being mistaken as a butterfly.

Larvae

The larvae feed on the underside of leaves and stems of

grapevines ''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 79 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, b ...

, peppervines and Virginia creepers. ''A. octomaculata'' larvae are considered somewhat of a pest in commercial and decorative vineyards. When threatened, their first line of defense is to vomit a foul orange tinted liquid. It escapes by falling off of its perch, still attached to it by the silk thread excreted from its mouth. Larvae who are still around during the fall like to spin their soft-walled cocoon into partial decayed material such as wood, soil, and even trash. Some mature caterpillars even die when they aren't given an opportunity to bore themselves into something pulpy and suitable.

Pupae

Like many other moths, ''A. octomaculata'' have the ability to remain in something called a

diapause In animal dormancy, diapause is the delay in development in response to regular and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions.Tauber, M.J., Tauber, C.A., Masaki, S. (1986) ''Seasonal Adaptations of Insects''. Oxford University Press It ...

, a dormant state in which their development is delayed, up to as far as 4 years long on record. The conditions of when they decide to hatch is unknown.

Adults

''A. octomaculata'' are

univoltine Voltinism is a term used in biology to indicate the number of broods or generations of an organism in a year. The term is most often applied to insects, and is particularly in use in sericulture, where silkworm varieties vary in their voltinism. ...

more north, flying late spring from April to June to produce one generation. In warmer climates there may be two annual

broods Broods is a New Zealand musical duo from Nelson, composed of Georgia Josiena Nott on lead vocals, with older brother and multi-instrumentalist Caleb Allan Joseph Nott on production and backing vocals. They released the single "Bridges", which w ...

and even attempts at three. The matured adults feed on nectar from flowers of herbaceous plants. When their initial brood peaks, during March, the adults fly to flowers such as that of Sweetleaf.

Gallery

File:- 9314 – Alypia octomaculata – Eight-spotted Forester Moth (caterpillar larval form) (47944988242).jpg, alt=Closeup of the caterpillar. It has tiny white hairs hairs all throughout its body. Tiny black legs, and an orange head with black dots., Larva File:Alypia octomaculata larva parasitized.jpg, alt=An image of a Alypia octomaculata caterpillar on a leaf, with a fly landing on top of it, attempting to parasitize it., A. octomaculata being parasitized File:Eight Spotted Forester Moth (3471438093).jpg, alt=An adult A.octomaculata showing off its orange, pollen like, legs., Adult

Subspecies

* ''Alypia octomaculata octomaculata'' ( Fabricuis, 1775) * ''Alypia octomaculata matuta'' (H. Edwards, 1883)

References

External links

illinoiswildflowers.infoButterfliesandmoths.org
Agaristinae Moths of North America Moths described in 1775 Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius {{Agaristinae-stub