An Eight-spotted Langson's (Fabricius, 1775) or Langson's Forester Couper observed lower Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.
Observation: While out doing field work in 2016 I noticed this moth on a small Alder bush. It didn't look like any moth I'd seen before. A year later while reading a recent article on a spike in caterpillars and defoliation I was researching the family Noctuidae and a picture of the moth came up.
LEO says: For a comparison of both species, check out these links from "Butterflies and Moths of North America," Eight-spotted Forester (Alypia octomaculata (Fabricius, 1775) and Langston's Forester
Alypia langtoni Couper. The website also provides a map of each moth with an observation date and other notes. There was a sighting of a Langston's Forester on July 23, 2017 in the Anchor River Critical Habitat Area near Homer, Alaska, totaling six observations statewide. An Eight-spotted Forester was observed in the Turnagain Arm area of upper Cook Inlet, between Anchorage and Portage Glacier back in June, 2011. M. Tcheripanoff
This post was sent to the Integrated Pest Management Program at UAF for species identification.
Forest Health and Integrated Pest Management Consult: Statewide IPM Technician, Jessie Moan write, "I think you are on the right track with the ID. I think it is in the genus Alypia. I can't say for sure which species without a clearer picture of the hindwing, though. While we don't have records for any Alypia in the Jakolof Bay area, there are some a bit farther north. I don't know that this would be completely out of the ordinary, but I'll look into it more. -Jessie. Source: UAF Cooperative Extension Service
Resource:
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