Police Car Moth / Gnophaela vermiculata

Photographed on a great day of botanizing (plus a bit of canoeing!) at the Medicine River Wildlife Centre, Spruce View, Alberta (NW of Calgary). Funny how it works sometimes - the best of a bunch of photos of this moth, and it happens to be on a most unphotogenic Fleabane flower, ha. There seem to have been a lot of these Police Car Moths this year.

"This is a fairly large moth with a wingspan of up to 50 mm. The wings are jet black with large white patches between the black scaled veins. As well, there are two orange patches of hairs on either side of the thorax, right behind the head. It is this colour combination, that of an old style police car, that gives it its name. Larvae are hairy and black with yellow and blue markings. The Police Car Moth is found throughout the province in or near forested areas. Adults fly throughout July and early August."

From www.royalalbertamuseum.ca

"A common western North American species found from southern British Columbia across to western Manitoba and south to northern New Mexico. Adults are diurnal and are found nectaring on flowers. There are four other species in this genus, however this is the only one that occurs in Alberta. Wingspan is 46 - 50 mm; various habitats, but not on the prairies; caterpillar's diet is Lungwort."

www.insectsofalberta.com/policecarmoth.htm