Police Car Moth caterpillar

Still using many old photos form my archives, as I'm not taking many new ones and I'm not getting time to look more carefully through my files at the moment.

This rather glaring image of a Police Car Moth caterpillar was taken on 21 June 2012, when I drove west of Calgary, along Elbow Falls Trail to Maclean Pond.

"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.