Erebidae

72.029 Scarlet Tiger Callimorpha dominula (Linnaeus, 1758)

Local

Similar species: This moth is unlikely to be mistaken for any other British or Irish species.

Forewing: 23 to 37mm

Habitats: Marshes, fens, margins of ditches and river-banks, coastal wasteground and undercliff, allotments and gardens.

Habits: The moth flies in sunshine especially in the afternoon and early evening. It also flies at night and comes to light.

Foodplant: The larva feeds on Common Comfrey, Hemp-agrimony, Meadowsweet, Hound's-tongue, Common Nettle, Bramble, sallows, Wych Elm, Honeysuckle, Blackthorn and other herbaceous plants, deciduous trees and shrubs. It pupates spun in the foodplant or in leaf litter.

On the European mainland it has also been recorded feeding on forget-me-nots, crane's-bills, dead-nettles, strawberries, cherries, willows, poplars and elms.