Euplagia quadripunctaria, the Jersey tiger, is a moth of the family Arctiidae. The adult flies from July to September,
depending on the location. It flies both in
the daytime, when it can be found feeding on various flowers, as well as at
night, when it is attracted to light.
The insects advertise their defenses with aposematic bright coloration, their orange wings that can hardly be seen at rest when their stripes are enough to help them hiding. In addition their ultrasound signals help nocturnal predators to learn to avoid them and can jam bat echolocation.
They tend to fly close to one of their preferred host plant the Eupatorium cannabinum, like pictured here.
The insects advertise their defenses with aposematic bright coloration, their orange wings that can hardly be seen at rest when their stripes are enough to help them hiding. In addition their ultrasound signals help nocturnal predators to learn to avoid them and can jam bat echolocation.
They tend to fly close to one of their preferred host plant the Eupatorium cannabinum, like pictured here.
The caterpillar is polyphagous,
feeding from September to May on nettles (Urtica) and raspberries (Rubus),
dandelion (Taraxacum), white
deadnettle (Lamium), ground ivy (Glechoma),
groundsel (Senecio), plantain (Plantago), borage (Borago),
lettuce (Lactuca), and hemp-agrimony (Eupratoria).
The insect overwinters as a small larva.
This butterfly is widely distributed in Europe
from Estonia and Latvia in the north to the Mediterranean coast and islands in
the south. It is also found in West Russia, South Urals, Asia Minor, the Near
East, Caucasus, South Turkmenistan, and Iran. Individuals are known to migrate
northwards from their regular breeding grounds during the summer. Large groups of adults of subspecies E. q. rhodosensis can be found
on occasion aestivating (sheltering from the summer heat) on Rhodes, in a place
that has become known as the 'Valley of the Butterflies'.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire