In the scarlet oak/shortleaf pine forests of Carter Co. in the Ozark Highlands of southeastern Missouri, an eight-spotted forester moth caterpillar (Alypia octomaculata) feeds on the foliage of wild grape (Vitis sp.), showcasing its beauty under the soft glow of moonlight.Both grape and Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), the only plants upon which the caterpillars of this species feed, belong to the family Vitaceae and are loaded with bitter compounds that accumulate in the caterpillar’s body, imparting a measure of toxicity to the caterpillars that makes not only them but the adult moths that they become bitterly distasteful to potential predators. So distasteful, in fact, that the caterpillars and adults, both brightly and conspicuously colored, brazenly feed and fly in broad daylight without fear of avian predators who have learned to avoid anything sporting a black and red motif.
©️ Ted C. MacRae 2026
The detail that the eight-spotted forester caterpillar only feeds on grape and Virginia creeper, and stores their bitter compounds so both larva and moth can fly in broad daylight, is a great little lesson in warning colours. The moonlight photo makes that black and red pattern look even bolder. I run Colony Flow, a level guide for an ant colony puzzle game, and insect chemical defences are the kind of real-world detail I wish more bug games used.