The Wildlife of
Croome

 
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Moths - The Cinnabar Moth

First seen on Monday 19th June 2017 at Croome

At first glance the Cinnabar Moth is similar to the Six-spot Burnet Moth but they are not related. The Cinnabar Moth has much less red on its wings, and spends a lot of its time in the grass rather than on flowers, so is much more difficult to spot, being nearly all black when its wings are folded.


 

However, its a different story when the Cinnabar flies, as its hind wing (top and bottom) is all red so it appears to be a very red moth and stands out against the green grass. It then of course vanishes again when it lands! You can see the bright red wings in the blurry photo below (it was flapping its wings). The Cinnabar Moth is named after the red mineral used as a pigment for painting.


 

You can see the red underwing in the photo below (you are looking at the underside). The caterpillar of this moth is also very colourful - you can see it here