Europe
Tyria jacobaeae
Scientific name Tyria jacobaeae
- Wingspan
- 30-45 mm
- Max age
- 2 weeks
- Rarity
- common
About this butterfly
The Cinnabar is a moth, not a butterfly. Forewings are black with red stripes and spots; hindwings are red. This warning colour advertises toxins stored from ragwort eaten by the larva. Adults fly at dusk and also by day from late spring into summer. The flight is fluttering and slow over grassland, heath and waste ground. Reproduction depends on Common Ragwort and closely related plants. Both sexes look similar. Local numbers rise and fall with ragwort abundance and management. The moth has been used in some countries as a ragwort biocontrol agent. Its place here is as a day-flying tiger moth, not a true butterfly.