Jersey Tiger Moth on Mexican Sunflower
Euplagia quadripunctaria, the Jersey tiger, or Spanish flag, is a diurnal moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Nikolaus Poda von Neuhaus in 1761. The adult wingspan is 52-65 mm and they fly from July to September, depending on the location. They tend to fly close to hemp-agrimony, Eupatorium cannabinum. In most of their range, the aposematic adults have red underwings. In the north-west part of their range, the adults are polymorphic for underwing colour, being variously red, orange, or yellow.
The hindwings are bright red across most of the range of the species, but in the north-west of the range the species is polymorphic, with red, orange, or yellow hindwings. The colour is part of the species' warning colouration (aposematism), signalling to possible predators that the species is distasteful, in its case protected by harmful chemicals. It is unusual for such warning signals to vary, as a single pattern is most likely to be an effective deterrent.
Aside from being frequent in the Channel Islands (whence its common name comes), this species was rarely seen in the British Isles in Victorian times. In 1903, it was described by William Forsell Kirby as "a great rarity in the South of England, except one locality in Devonshire". Since then however it has spread more widely in Devon and Cornwall, and became more frequent in southern England by 2014, especially on the Isle of Wight, in northern Kent, and south London. By 2019, it was widespread and common across southern England, and with scattered records north to the Midlands and East Anglia. The increase has continued since then, with a 78% increase between 2024–2025 alone, and consolidation in East Anglia, the Midlands, and into South Wales.
I saw this example sitting on a Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia), which has bright red-orange daisy-like petals and an orange-yellow centre. These plants are popular in gardens for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds, and when seen in the Flower Gardens in the south-east corner of Greenwich Park in London, there were a large number of butterflies, bees and other insects around them.
Jersey Tiger Moth on Mexican Sunflower
Euplagia quadripunctaria, the Jersey tiger, or Spanish flag, is a diurnal moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Nikolaus Poda von Neuhaus in 1761. The adult wingspan is 52-65 mm and they fly from July to September, depending on the location. They tend to fly close to hemp-agrimony, Eupatorium cannabinum. In most of their range, the aposematic adults have red underwings. In the north-west part of their range, the adults are polymorphic for underwing colour, being variously red, orange, or yellow.
The hindwings are bright red across most of the range of the species, but in the north-west of the range the species is polymorphic, with red, orange, or yellow hindwings. The colour is part of the species' warning colouration (aposematism), signalling to possible predators that the species is distasteful, in its case protected by harmful chemicals. It is unusual for such warning signals to vary, as a single pattern is most likely to be an effective deterrent.
Aside from being frequent in the Channel Islands (whence its common name comes), this species was rarely seen in the British Isles in Victorian times. In 1903, it was described by William Forsell Kirby as "a great rarity in the South of England, except one locality in Devonshire". Since then however it has spread more widely in Devon and Cornwall, and became more frequent in southern England by 2014, especially on the Isle of Wight, in northern Kent, and south London. By 2019, it was widespread and common across southern England, and with scattered records north to the Midlands and East Anglia. The increase has continued since then, with a 78% increase between 2024–2025 alone, and consolidation in East Anglia, the Midlands, and into South Wales.
I saw this example sitting on a Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia), which has bright red-orange daisy-like petals and an orange-yellow centre. These plants are popular in gardens for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds, and when seen in the Flower Gardens in the south-east corner of Greenwich Park in London, there were a large number of butterflies, bees and other insects around them.