Eight-Spotted Forester

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The eight-spotted forester is a spiffy, butterfly-like moth. It is a fast, darting flyer and dazzles the eye when it flutters around flowers.

Donna Brunet

Family:

Noctuidae (owlet moths)

Description:

Adult eight-spotted foresters are butterfly-like: They fly during the day, drink from flowers, and even have antennae that are thickened at the tips. The overall wing color is black. The forewings have two pale yellow spots; the hindwings have two white spots. The body is mostly black. The front and middle pairs of legs have patches of bright orange hairs. The flight is fast and darting. The black and white pattern creates a flickering effect like a strobe light.

Larvae are whitish lavender, with each segment having several narrow, black transverse lines and one wide orange band. There are small black tubercles on the body, and white spots in the abdominal area. The head is orange.

Size:

Wingspan: 1–1½ inches.

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Eight-Spotted Forester

Seen from above, it's easy to see why this noctuid moth is called the "eight-spotted" forester.

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A black butterfly-like insect with white spots on its wings and bright orange balls on its legs.

Eight-Spotted Forester in St. Louis

User submitted photo

Habitat and conservation:

Adults are most often found where wooded areas border open areas — the open areas offer the flowers the adults drink from, and the wooded areas provide the grapevines and Virginia creeper they eat as larvae and upon which they lay their eggs.

Foods:

Larvae feed on grapes (both wild and cultivated) and on Virginia creeper. The adults feed like butterflies on flower nectar.

image of Eight-Spotted Forester Distribution Map

Distribution in Missouri:

Statewide.

Status:

Breeding resident.

Life cycle:

Adults are most 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.

Human connections:

The caterpillars can be a pest on grape leaves, though their grazing on Missouri’s innumerable wild grape vines and Virginia creeper causes grief to few people.

Ecosystem connections:

The caterpillars are herbivores that graze on vegetation. The adults serve a role in pollination. All stages provide food for predators.