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Species Tyria jacobaeae - Cinnabar Moth - Hodges#8113

One for the Butterfly Etc. people - Tyria jacobaeae Cinnabar Moth - Tyria jacobaeae Cat - Tyria jacobaeae MT18 - Moth - Tyria jacobaeae Cinnabar Moth - Tyria jacobaeae caterpillar on thistle - Tyria jacobaeae Red and Black Moth - Tyria jacobaeae Tyria jacobaeae
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Noctuoidea (Owlet Moths and kin)
Family Erebidae
Subfamily Arctiinae (Tiger and Lichen Moths)
Tribe Arctiini (Tiger Moths)
Subtribe Callimorphina
Genus Tyria
Species jacobaeae (Cinnabar Moth - Hodges#8113)
Hodges Number
8113
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Callimorpha senecionis
Explanation of Names
The species name is for its hostplant, Senecio jacobaea, St Jameswort or Tansy Ragwort.
Size
wingspan about 39 mm, based on Moth Photographers Group specimen
Identification
Eggs are laid in clusters on the underside of host plant leaves. First instar caterpillars are yellow with a black head, becoming striped in later instars, with broad black and yellow bands. CAterpillars start out feeding on leaves but move to flowers when plant is in bloom.

Moth has dark grey forewings with a distinctive red pattern. Hindwings are red.
Food
Prefer high density plots of Senecio jacobaea over low density plots.(1)
Remarks
Introduced from Europe in the 1960s as a control for introduced weedy Ragwort, the host plant for its caterpillars, which is toxic to livestock.
See Also
Lichen Moths in the genus Hypoprepia:
Works Cited
1.Insect-Plant Biology
L.M. Schoonhoven, T. Jermy, and J.J.A. Van Loon. 1998. Chapman and Hall.