Here’s a complete scientific and natural history overview of the Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia fuliginosa), one of Europe’s most attractive tiger moths — known for its rich reddish coloration and wide northern range.

🦋 Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)

Taxonomy

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Arthropoda
• Class: Insecta
• Order: Lepidoptera
• Family: Erebidae (subfamily Arctiinae – Tiger Moths)
• Genus: Phragmatobia
• Species: P. fuliginosa

Common Names

• Ruby Tiger
• Ruby Tiger Moth
• Brown Tiger Moth (older name in some regions)

General Description

The Ruby Tiger Moth is a small to medium-sized moth, easily recognized by its reddish-brown forewings and vivid pinkish-red hindwings. It is widespread throughout Europe and parts of Asia, adapted to a variety of open habitats.

• Wingspan: 30–42 mm
• Forewings:
  • Deep reddish-brown or chestnut-colored, sometimes with darker spots or streaks.
  • Color varies regionally — northern individuals often darker.
• Hindwings:
  • Bright pinkish-red or crimson, with a black central spot and a dark outer margin.
• Body:
  • Furry and reddish or pinkish in tone.
• Sexual dimorphism: Males are generally slightly smaller and more brightly colored than females.
• Resting posture: Wings held roof-like over the body; bright hindwings hidden until disturbed.

Distribution

The Ruby Tiger Moth is found across much of the Palearctic region, including:

• Europe: Widespread from the British Isles and Scandinavia to the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe.
• Asia: Extends across Russia to Mongolia, northern China, and Japan.
• North Africa: Present in some temperate coastal areas.

Habitat

• Occurs in a wide variety of open and semi-open habitats, including:
  • Heathlands and moorlands
  • Grasslands and dunes
  • Woodland clearings and forest edges
  • Meadows, gardens, and road verges
• Prefers sunny, dry places with abundant low-growing vegetation.
• In northern Europe, often found in heather moors and coastal dunes.

Behavior

• Mainly nocturnal, but may also fly in the daytime, especially when disturbed.
• Attracted to light at night.
• Flies close to the ground, with a quick, darting flight.
• When threatened, it exposes its bright hindwings — a warning display to deter predators.

Life Cycle

• Generations:
  • 1–2 per year, depending on climate.
  • In northern Europe: usually one generation (June–August).
  • In southern Europe: sometimes two generations (spring and late summer).
• Eggs:
  • Laid on low plants.
• Larva (Caterpillar):
  • Covered in dense, brownish or black hairs (setae), giving it a “woolly bear” appearance.
  • Feeds on many herbaceous plants.
  • Overwinters as a larva, often curling up under leaves or moss.
• Pupa:
  • Forms a silken cocoon among leaf litter or soil debris.
• Adult emergence: Late spring to summer.

Food Plants (Larval Host Plants)

Polyphagous (feeds on many plant species), including:

• Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
• Dock (Rumex)
• Plantains (Plantago)
• Dandelion (Taraxacum)
• Burdock (Arctium)
• Willowherb (Epilobium)
• Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)

This wide diet allows it to inhabit diverse ecosystems.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: 🟩 Least Concern
• Population trend: Stable and widespread.
• Common throughout most of its range, though locally declining in regions with intensive agriculture or habitat loss.
• Thrives in natural and semi-natural grasslands.

Identification Tips

Ecological Role

• Pollinator: Adults occasionally feed on nectar from flowers.
• Food source: Caterpillars are prey for birds and small mammals, though their hairs deter some predators.
• Overwintering stage: Larvae contribute to forest floor and grassland ecosystems as part of the decomposer cycle.

Interesting Facts

• The name Ruby Tiger refers to the gem-like ruby color of its hindwings.
• The caterpillar’s hairs can act as a mild deterrent to birds but are harmless to humans.
• Exhibits regional color variation: northern forms darker, Mediterranean forms paler and redder.
• Part of the same family as the Garden Tiger Moth (Arctia caja), another striking European species.

In Northern Europe (e.g., Estonia, Finland, Scandinavia)

• A common sight from May to August, especially in heathlands, forest edges, and meadows.
• Caterpillars often seen in late summer or autumn, feeding on dandelion and dock leaves.
• Overwinters as a larva and pupates in spring, emerging as an adult moth in early summer.

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