Bug FAQJersey Tiger
Euplagia quadripunctaria · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Erebidae
Also called: Jersey Tiger-moth
The Jersey tiger moth has a wingspan of about 5 to 6.5 cm. Adults usually show bright red underwings, but in the north-west part of their range they can also be orange or yellow. The caterpillars feed on a wide range of herbaceous plants such as nettles, raspberries, dandelion and hemp-agrimony.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
In most of their range the adults have red underwings as a warning colour. In the north-west part of the range the underwing colour varies among red, orange and yellow.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult wingspan ranges from 52 to 65 mm (2.0 to 2.6 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are often seen flying close to hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum). Large groups of the subspecies E. q. rhodosensis sometimes aestivate in the Valley of the Butterflies on Rhodes.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species overwinters as a small larva. Adults are on the wing from July to September, depending on location.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
They fly from July to September, varying with locality.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
They are widely distributed across Europe from the Baltic states to southern Great Britain and the Mediterranean coast. Their range also includes western Russia, the southern Urals, Asia Minor, the Near East, the Caucasus, southern Turkmenistan and Iran.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What do Jersey tiger moth caterpillars eat?
They feed on a variety of herbaceous plants including nettles, raspberries, dandelion, white deadnettle, ground-ivy, groundsel, plantain, borage, lettuce and hemp-agrimony.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult Jersey tiger moths?
Adults are active from July through September, depending on where you are.
Source: Wikipedia
What colour are the underwings of adult Jersey tiger moths?
Most adults have red underwings, but in the north-west part of their range they may be orange or yellow.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Erebidae)
Spongy MothLymantria disparDamages trees, gardens or crops
Fall Webworm MothHyphantria cuneaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Brown-tail MothEuproctis chrysorrhoeaCan irritate skin
Isabella Tiger MothPyrrharctia isabella
Virginian Tiger MothSpilosoma virginicaCan irritate skin
Salt Marsh MothEstigmene acreaSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euplagia_quadripunctaria
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.