• ABOUT
  • BIRDING 2018
  • Birding 2019
  • BLOG POSTS
  • Butterflies 2018
  • Resources

earthstar

~ a celebration of nature

earthstar

Tag Archives: Euplagia quadripunctaria

234/366 Tiger hunting

21 Friday Aug 2020

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

British moths, Euplagia quadripunctaria, Jersey tiger, Lavernock Nature Reserve, moth, tiger moths

As many local events in Nature’s calendar have been tracking a couple of weeks earlier than usual this year, I first started this year’s tiger hunting ten days ago but it took three visits to Lavernock Nature Reserve and much staring at the flowers of Hemp-agrimony before I finally found a tiger.

200821 jersey tiger (1)

I am not, of course, talking about the big cats – I am vehemently opposed to all hunting! My hunt was for the gorgeous moth that is the Jersey tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria).

200821 jersey tiger (2)

Having spread northwards in southern England, from Devon in to Somerset, these moths tackled the watery expanse of the Bristol Channel in stages, recorded on the island of Flat Holm in 2008 but not making the final flight across to the south Wales coast until 2012.

200821 jersey tiger (3)

Though they have avoided big city Cardiff – the single Cardiff record thus far was in 2017, the Jersey tiger now appears to be well established along a section of the Vale of Glamorgan coastline, from Penarth to Barry, and presumably it will spread further as climate and environmental conditions allow.

200821 jersey tiger (4)

Last Monday, 17 August, I spotted these two, feeding quite close together, at Lavernock (the first two photos here are one moth; the other three show the second tiger). Though they have been recorded on various flowers, I’ve only ever seen them on Hemp-agrimony, which is one of the food plants used by their larvae. I live in hope of finding one of their funky-looking caterpillars but I was over the moon to see my first tigers of the year.

200821 jersey tiger (5)

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

Not one but three!

14 Monday Aug 2017

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

British moths, Euplagia quadripunctaria, Jersey tiger, Lavernock Nature Reserve, moth, moths, UK moths

So, my question today is how many moths does it take to make a colony?

170814 Jersey tiger 100817170814 Jersey tiger 130817 (1)170814 Jersey tiger 130817 (2)

I passed through Lavernock Nature Reserve again yesterday and found two more Jersey tigers (Euplagia quadripunctaria). I can tell neither of these is the same as the one I saw three days earlier because the spots on their wings are all different (see inside bottom edge of right wing in these photos of all three, as shown below). I’m hoping this means there is now a colony of Jersey tigers becoming established in the reserve, rather than immigrants all arriving at the same time.

170814 Jersey tiger 100817 crop
170814 Jersey tiger 130817 crop (1)
170814 Jersey tiger 130817 crop (2)

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

A Jersey tiger!

12 Saturday Aug 2017

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

British moth, Euplagia quadripunctaria, Jersey tiger, Lavernock Nature Reserve, moth

170812 Jersey tiger (1)

Ooo look, a Red admiral … hang on a minute … what’s that???!!!

I went looking for migrant birds at high tide at Sully beach – and found nothing more exotic than some Rock pipits and Turnstones – but my walk home, along the coastal path, took me through Lavernock Nature Reserve and there I got lucky. There I found an altogether different migrant, a beautiful Jersey tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria).

170812 Jersey tiger (3)

Obviously, it’s not a mammal that’s swum across the Channel from Jersey: it’s a moth. It may also not have been an immigrant, as colonies have become established in a couple of places along the southern English coast in recent years. It is still, however, not so common in Wales, with only 24 records in the national database.

170812 Jersey tiger (4)
170812 Jersey tiger (5)

As you can see, it has gorgeous and quite distinctive markings – just look at that bright orange underwing! – so there was no mistaking what it was. Let’s hope a few other Jersey tigers arrive to establish a colony in Lavernock’s wonderful wildflower meadows.

170812 Jersey tiger (2)

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

View Full Profile →

Follow earthstar on WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent blog posts

  • Leaf mines: Chromatomyia scolopendri March 1, 2021
  • Wild blooms February 28, 2021
  • Mossy gravestone February 27, 2021
  • Nipplewort Rust February 26, 2021
  • First hoverfly February 25, 2021

From the archives

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

COPYRIGHT

Unless otherwise acknowledged, the text and photographs on this blog are my own and are subject to international copyright. Nothing may be downloaded or copied without my permission.

Click on the category

'Dedicated Naturalist' Project 365DaysWildin2019 amphibian animals autumn birds coastal fauna flowers fungi geology insects ladybird leaves lichen mammal molluscs nature nature photography parks plants reptiles seaside seasons spiders spring trees walks weather wildflowers winter

Fellow Earth Stars!

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×
    %d bloggers like this: