A Jersey Tiger Moth Euplagia quadripunctaria feeding on Hemp agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum at a North Downs site in Surrey. Despite the bright markings, this moth was surprisingly hard to spot when it was flattened against the inflorescence, and seen from the side. Formerly uncommon and local, this moth has increased its range rapidly further northwards in response to anthropogenic climate change, and it is now far more likely to be found in the London area than the formerly abundant and now virtually absent Garden Tiger Moth Arctia caja, a species that has coped poorly with rising temperatures and a changing winter climate.
19 окт 2023
