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• Cinnabar moth

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    Cinnabar moth - Tyria jacobaeae
Family - Erebidae

Found over much of Europe to west central Asia.  Introduced to New Zealand, United States and Canada, they are one of the common occasional day flying moths.  The Cinnabar is a most distinctive species, usually nocturnal but often seen when disturbed from long grass and other herbage.  In flight adults appear as a bright red "flash", never flying very far before settling when you will see that the red rear wings are bordered with black.  The dark grey forewings have a red streak towards the front margin and two red spots on the outer edges, the head, thorax and abdomen are black.  Wingspan 30–45mm (1.2–1.8in), seen May to July.  Gregarious caterpillars in groups of about 30 have a narrow orange and black transverse alternate striped body (about 2.5cm–1in long) which is covered with short black hairs.  They have a small black shiny head and will be seen feeding on various Ragwort species especially Common Ragwort their main food plant.

Larvae absorb alkaloids from the food plant thereby becoming unpalatable to most vertebrates, however they are readily consumed by many predatory insects.  The banded colouration is seen in their later instar stages when they are much larger, early instars are almost all yellow.  When fully grown, caterpillars leave the food plant and pupate some distance away in a crevice or sheltered spot.  A deliberately introduced species into Australia and New Zealand several times in the 19th century to control Ragwort.

    The Dot moth is a UK UK Biodiversity Action Plan listed species for research purposes as it has undergone a marked decline in the last few years from many factors, including habitat change, pollution and the use of pesticides.

Agassiz #72.031, Bradley & Fletcher #2069

Photo ©2007 Svdmolen
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