Eight spotted forester

In the process of trying get a clear look at some sort of very noisy songbird at the far edge of a field, I noticed this eye-catching moth, a study in black and creamy white. Oh yes, and then there are those incredible orange leggings. It's called an Eight-spotted Forester, or, in Latin, Alypia octomaculata. The species name is a clear reference to those eight wing spots, but the genus name has nothing to do with forestry or the practitioners of the art. Alypia was given in marriage by her dad, the Roman emperor Anthemius, to his general and rival, Ricimer. Despite the attempt at forging family and political ties, the soldier overthrew Anthemius and had him beheaded. Why the great 18th century taxonomist and naturalist Fabricius chose to honor this Noctuid moth genus with the name of an ill-fated noblewoman is a mystery. But there's no mystery about the Eight-spotted's beauty.