8 spotted forester moth- toxic or not?

[wdu...@comcast.net]

I have been unable to find anything on the web yet about either the toxicity of, or mimcry of a toxic form, by the 8 spotted forester.  Yet the coloration and the day-flying habit screams toxicity.  The food plants do not seem to be toxic.  So what gives- is evolution turned on its head or what? 

Help please!

Bill

A very interesting photo!! This is the eight-spotted forester moth (Alypia ), a day-flying and presumably toxic moth since it is so brightly colored. I do not know the source of its presumed toxicity and will let you look that up on Google.  Kaufman (page 248) says its larvae eat Virginia creeper and grapes. Some day-flying moths similarly brightly colored in Florida are the oleander moths that get their toxicity from eating oleanders.

Bill

----- Original Message -----
From: "Edwina Driggers" <ekdri...@earthlink.net>
To: "Margaret Dunson" <mkdu...@comcast.net>, wdu...@comcast.net
Sent: Tuesday, June 15, 2010 10:29:11 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Fw: Emailing: IMG_0180

Bill & Margaret,

This little butterfly visited my garden and porch last week. It was very small. In this photo the light spots look slightly yellow, but in live view the light looked more white and then what about those orange thighs? So far I have not been able to identify this visitor but will see. Do you have any ideas?May be your Grandson would like a look at the photo as well. I look two other photos of it as well. One with the wings open from the back and one with the wings partly closed from the back or top of the butterfly.

Best,

Edwina