| Forewing length | 23-27mm |
| Adults | May-July |
| Caterpillars | August-May |
This beautiful moth is often found resting on leaves, though it does also fly during the day.
About
This colourful moth can be seen between May and July. They like damp areas such as riverbanks, fens, floodplain meadows, and marshes. They can also be found on coastal habitats, road verges and sometimes in woodlands and gardens.
You can often find scarlet tigers resting on leaves, with their blazing red hindwings mostly hidden beneath the shimmering green-black forewings. They fly both at night and during the day. Males are particularly likely to fly late in the afternoon or early in the evening, on sunny days. They visit flowers to feed on nectar.
Scarlet tiger caterpillars hatch in late summer and feed on a variety of plants, including common comfrey, green alkanet and common nettle. They spend the winter as a partially grown caterpillar, emerging again in March to continue feeding. Larger caterpillars spread out and start to feed on an even greater selection of plants, including brambles and other trees and shrubs. In late spring, when they're fully fed, they pupate in a silken cocoon on the ground.
How to identify
Adult moths have black forewings that shimmer with metallic green hues, which are covered with white and yellow spots and splodges. The hindwings are bright red with some black markings.
Caterpillars are black with tufts of black and white bristles. They have lines of yellow dashes and white dots running the length of the body.
Did you know?
In German, the scarlet tiger is known as the schönbär, which means beautiful bear.