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A very pretty day flying moth which is common in some areas mainly in the south of England, being a wetland species I always find these brightly coloured moths flying along the banks of the river Itchen near where I live, also in a open area in a nearby forests, from May to June, in Hampshire UK. This must be a favourite site as I have found this colony in the same place for over 30 years now, so you could start your own colony in a suitable location, from specimens brought from butterfly farms or insect groups as this moth is easier to buy than find. Moths can be seen flying in the sunshine late afternoon, males looking for females or feeding on flowers along the river bank, as unlike other tiger moths it has a coiled tongue to feed on nectar. sometimes I photograph the moths resting on bushes not far from where the larvae feed. This moth has very striking colours which flash red and black from its under wings when in flight, I have often watched them flying in summer, when I should be taking pictures. The black on the forewings show a metallic green sheen, especially with freshly emerged specimens. The eggs are scattered amongst the larvae food plant, the caterpillars I find feeding on Comfrey along the river banks probably laid by many moths, often strip the plants bare, and will even eat the flowers, but are able to feed on a wide variety of other plants, like Nettle, Sallow and Willow. The caterpillars are black with yellow stripes covered in spiky hairs, and hibernate as young larvae through the winter. This is a lovely moth, which is always worth buying then releasing in the wild.
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