Gray Looper Moth
Rachiplusia ou
OWLET MOTH FAMILY (Noctuidae)
The Gray Looper Moth has a wingspan of 1.25 inches. The forewing is gray with ashy gray and black shading. The white stigma is either separate or joined U-shaped and O-shaped parts. The area below the stigma is a pale ash gray band above a wider dark band. The hindwing is an orange-brown becoming gray-brown near the outer margin.
The frequency of occurrence is not known. The individual shown here was photographed at Fontenelle Forest Nature Center in early September. Adults fly from May to October.
The larval food plants are clover, corn, cosmos, mint and other plants. The name “ou” is of obscure origin. BugGuide suggests it may be a visual pun as the white forewing markings look like the letters O and U.
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