Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia fuliginosa)

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.
See also  Fly

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.
See also  Corfu, Greece

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

FeatureDescription
Forewing colorReddish-brown, variable tone
Hindwing colorPink to crimson with black spot
Flight periodLate spring to late summer
BehaviorDay-flying, often sun-loving
CaterpillarHairy, dark brown “woolly bear” type

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.
See also  Golden net-wing (Dictyoptera aurura)

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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