Garden tiger moth
Resting pose
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Arctiidae
Genus:	Arctia
Species:	A. caja
Binomial name
Arctia caja (Linnaeus, 1758)[verification needed]

The garden tiger moth (Arctia caja) is a moth of the Arctiidae family.

It has a wingspan of 45 to 65 millimetres (1.8 to 2.6 in). The design of the wings varies: the front wings are brown with a white pattern (which can however be missing), the back wings orange with a pattern of black dots. The conspicuous patterns serve as a warning to predators, because the moth's body fluids are poisonous. Its effects are not yet fully known, but they contain quantities of choline esters which are neurotoxic by interfering with the acetylcholine receptor. The colours are also ideal for frightening predators such as small birds: the moth normally hides its hindwings under the cryptic forewings when resting. If a threat is perceived, the moth quickly shows its red colour and flies away. In this way, it successfully confuses and warns off the predator.

Distribution[link]

The garden tiger moth is found throughout Europe as far north as Lapland, in Asia, and in North America. In the mountains (Tien Shan) this species is found up to an elevation of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). The garden tiger moth loves damp places, which is why it is particularly common in river valleys as well as gardens and parks. The moth is nocturnal and can usually only be seen flying around a source of light. The distinctively coloured, long-haired caterpillar, on the other hand, is seen more frequently. It can grow up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long and plays dead when in danger. These moths are most common in June to August, in gardens, park, meadows, grasslands, and scrubby areas.

On August 28, 2007, the new Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) (launched in 1997) identified 1,149 species and 65 habitats in the UK that need conservation and greater protection. The updated list include hedgehog, house sparrows, grass snake and the garden tiger moth; otters, bottlenose dolphins and red squirrels remained in need of habitat protection.^[1]

Its numbers in the UK have declined by 89% over the past 30 years.^[2]

Development[link]

Eggs are laid starting in July. Large bluish-white clutches of eggs are laid on the lower surfaces of leaves. The caterpillars hatch in August. They spend the winter on the ground in protected places and pupate from June to July of the following year. The moths hatch from July to August.

The caterpillar of the garden tiger moth feeds on various kinds of non-woody plants, as well as bushes and trees. It is especially fond of raspberry, blackberry, viburnum, honeysuckle, erica, and broom.

Gallery[link]

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  Hindwing pattern

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  Mounted specimen

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  Underside

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  Close-up

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  Caterpillar

References[link]

• Ebert, Günter (ed.) (1997): Die Schmetterlinge Baden-Württembergs. Vol.5: Nachtfalter III (Sesiidae, Arctiidae, Noctuidae). Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart. ISBN 3-8001-3481-0
• Stevens, Martin (2005): The role of eyespots as anti-predator mechanisms, principally demonstrated in the Lepidoptera. Biol. Rev. 80(4): 573–588. doi:10.1017/S1464793105006810 (HTML abstract)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Garden tiger moth

• Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa
• Fauna Europaea: Taxonomy
• www.lepiforum.de: Photos and taxonomie (German)
• www.schmetterling-raupe.de (German)
• www.faunistik.net: photos (German)
• www.insektenbox.de (German)

This article incorporates information from the revision as of 4 June 2006 of the equivalent article on the German Wikipedia.

Tiger moths are moths of the family Arctiidae.

Tiger moth may also refer to:

• de Havilland Tiger Moth, an aircraft; an aerobatic and trainer tailwheel biplane
• de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth, an earlier monoplane produced by de Havilland
• Fisher R-80 Tiger Moth - homebuilt aircraft
• RagWing RW22 Tiger Moth - homebuilt aircraft
• Tiger Moth, a fictional biplane in Thomas and Friends.
• Tiger Moth (comics) is a supervillainess from DC Comics

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.