20_08_08_7178Ed

Jersey Tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria), Springhill garden. As far as I know the first one seen at Normandy was attracted to the mercury vapour lamp at Springhill garden on 7 August. This is a large and attractive moth that flies during the day time as well as at night (diurnal) with either red, orange or yellow on the hindwing. It was very pleasing to hear that one with red on the hindwing turned up soon after at Liz and Brian Oliver’s house on Glaziers Lane “It flew into the house during the heavy rain yesterday (12 August), a new one on me”. My book mentions it visits flowers such as buddleias – no mention of flying into houses in heavy rain but who could blame it! The larva feed on nettles and other herbaceous plants. There is no record of the moth in ‘The Larger Moths of Surrey’ (Graham A. Collins) published by Surrey Wildlife Trust in 1997 but it has expanded greatly out of London (as well as along and away from the south coast) since 2004. Whether this moth makes up for the loss of the Garden Tiger I’ll leave up to you to decide.

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