Alticola Looper Moth

A widespread species with secure habitat; no concerns.

Adults have been collected in Alberta in late July and early August.

Across the Arctic, above the treeline from Newfoundland to Alaska; south in the mountains to central California and Colorado. In Alberta, it occurs in the mountains,

A fairly small (2.6-2.7 cm wingspan) moth with blackish-brown forewings and bright yellow hindwings. Forewings are dark chocolate or black-brown, paler along the postmedian line and in the anal angle. The stigma is an oblique elongated curved silver spot. Hindwings are bright yellow-orange, with a prominent black terminal band. The antennae are simple and both sexes are alike. It can be separated from the very similar S. ignea by its smaller size, the darker forewings, shorter stigma, more zigzag subterminal line and the lack of sclerotized setae on the foretibia. They can also be separated by genitalic characters. The other small yellow-winged Syngrapha species are restricted to lower elevations than alticola frequents.

Alpine and arctic tundra.

The adults are diurnal.

Unknown.

Syngrapha alticola, the alticola looper moth or alpine beauty, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Francis Walker in 1858. It is found across the Arctic of North America, above the treeline from Newfoundland to Alaska, south in the mountains to central California and Colorado.

The wingspan is 26–27 mm. Adults are on wing from July to August depending on the location. There are two generations per year.