The Scarlet Tiger Moth (Callimorpha dominula, formerly Panaxia dominula) is a colorful moth of Europe, Turkey, Transcaucasus, northern Iran. It belongs to the tiger moth family, Arctiidae.
The caterpillars feed mostly on comfrey (Symphytum officinale). The imagines fly by day.
It can occur in rare colour forms, one with yellow hindwings and body and one with extended black on hindwings.
The three morphs occurring in the population at the Cothill reserve in Oxfordshire, Britain, have been the subject of considerable genetic study (McNamara 1998), including research by E.B. Ford, R.A. Fisher and Denis Owen.
McNamara (1998) describes how amateurs can rear this species.
Read more about Scarlet Tiger Moth: Subspecies, Gallery
Famous quotes containing the words scarlet, tiger and/or moth:
“Creamy bean flowers with black eyes and leaves like bored hearts.
Is it blood clots the tendrils are dragging up that string?
No, no, it is scarlet flowers that will one day be edible.”
—Sylvia Plath (1932–1963)
“When there is no tiger on the mountain, the monkey becomes king.”
—Chinese proverb.
“I teazed him with fanciful apprehensions of unhappiness. A moth having fluttered round the candle, and burnt itself, he laid hold of this little incident to admonish me; saying, with a sly look, and in a solemn but quiet tone, “That creature was its own tormentor, and I believe its name was BOSWELL.””
—James Boswell (1740–1795)