Insect
Ruby Tiger Moth
Phragmatobia fuliginosaAlso known as Ruby Tiger
Ruby tiger moths are distinctive day-and-night flyers with translucent rust-red forewings and brilliant carmine hindwings dotted with dark spots. Females emit potent pheromones from low perches at dusk to draw hovering males, producing two broods across most of their temperate range. In late autumn, their bristly black caterpillars often march visibly along paths and roadsides before overwintering under leaf litter or snow.
NocturnalColorfulHairy Caterpillar
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyDandelion foliage, Broadleaf dock, Common heather
Predators
- Bats
- Insectivorous birds
- Spiders
ThreatsHabitat loss from intensive agriculture, frequent mowing, and artificial light pollution
HabitatsMeadows, grasslands, heathlands, open woodlands, and roadsides
Life span1 year
Classification
- OrderLepidoptera
- FamilyErebidae
- GenusPhragmatobia
- SpeciesPhragmatobia fuliginosa
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Light trapping: Set up an ultraviolet light trap near meadow margins on warm, still summer nights to attract adults.
- Larval searching: Look along footpaths and low vegetation during bright autumn days to spot the dark, furry caterpillars searching for winter shelter.
Same Subfamily (c) carnifex, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by carnifex · cc-by
Image unavailableSame Subfamily Same Subfamily 
Same Subfamily (c) Christopher Stephens, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Christopher Stephens · cc-by-sa
Same Subfamily Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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Found in Collections
Species set
Moonlight Marvels
Ruby Tiger Moth is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
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