The Wildlife of
Holy Island

 
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Moths - The Cinnabar Moth

First seen on Tuesday 18th May 2021 at Holy Island

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! The Cinnabar Moth is named after the red mineral used as a pigment for painting. The caterpillar of this moth is also very colourful (yellow) - you can see it here

The one below looks like it has just emerged, and is inflating its wings