Cinnabar moth larva

[bugmeister]

After seeing John's excellent picture of the moth, I went back and dug out a picture of the larva of the cinnabar moth

 

 

If I've done this right.. this should be a link to Johns picture http://www.tipf.co.uk/index.php/topic/2573-cinnabar-moth/

 

(hope John doesn't mind me linking to his post)

[Heather]

talk about the ugly bug becoming the beautiful creature 

[annie]

yep, I find these at wandlebury, have never found the moth though! just like my garden is crawling with the lackey caterpillar...have never seen the moth! where do they go?

[JohnP]

have never seen the moth! where do they go?

 

annie... they are a day flying moth, only on sunny days though. As I said in my post they used to be common but not anymore. They like Ragwort, but that's poison when it's gets into hay and will kill horses and cattle so that is less common now as farmers spray to kill it. Ragwort can still be found on the roadsides but I often see council workmen removing it. I came across my moth in an area of the Forest of Dean that had been cleared of conifer trees to make way for the planting of traditional trees.... just pure luck.

[NannyFerret]

He's very bright and sharp, Bugs

I got a shot of a Cinnibar moth many years ago with my film slr. It wasn't a very sharp shot as film was to expensive to reel away in thos days. I must have the print lurking somewhere around the house. (probably amongst all of my mis-haps lol)

[JohnP]

Excellent capture Bugs, I will now have to find the caterpillar...