Eight-spotted forester
Although it belongs to the owlet moth family, this day-flying moth is often mistaken for a butterfly, and its caterpillars vomit a foul orange liquid when threatened.
| Where | Woodland edges and open fields |
|---|---|
| Size | 25 to 38 mm wingspan |
| When | March to August |
The Eight-spotted forester has black wings marked with two pale yellow spots on each forewing and two white spots on each hindwing, plus patches of bright orange hair on its front and middle legs.
It flies by day and visits flowers like a butterfly, and its caterpillars feed on wild and cultivated grapevines and Virginia creeper, dropping on a silk thread and spitting an orange fluid if disturbed.
Traits
Habitat
Woodland
Colour
Black, Yellow, White
Active
Day and night
To people
Harmless to people; often mistaken for a small butterfly as it visits flowers by day.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The Grapevine epimenis carries a bold white patch and a red-orange patch on each wing, quite unlike the Eight-spotted forester's plain black wings with small pale yellow and white spots, and it flies only in early spring while the forester flies into summer.
Questions
Is the Eight-spotted forester dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; often mistaken for a small butterfly as it visits flowers by day.
When can you see the Eight-spotted forester?
The Eight-spotted forester can be seen from March to August, by day and at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by Lisa Winnett-Pequeno, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Owlet moths›Alypia
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.