72.030 : 2067 : 10,605
Eribidae : Arctiinae

Jersey Tiger

EUPLAGIA quadripunctaria (Poda, 1761)
Picture
Kind permission - © Brigitte Graham
Life Cycle Guide
Picture
Description
Wingspan: 52-65mm
Worldwide Distribution: Central Europe and  Southern Europe - less Sweden,Norway,Ireland,Estonia,Latvia and N Russia :  W.Russia : S.Urals : Asia Minor : Near East : Caucasus : S.Turkmenistan : Iran : Rhodes
UK Distribution: Quite numerous on south coast Devon - west of Dartmouth to Bridport Dorset - Inland around Exeter to edge of Dartmoor - records in Plymouth - Isle of Wight - established - locally frequent - small numbers inland - Sussex coast - established : Channel Isles - widespread and abundant
UK Conservation Status -
  • Nationally Scarce B (Nb - BAP : 1997) = 31 - 100 10Km Squares
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Phalaena quadripunctaria (Poda, 1761)
Type Species - Euplagia
Type Locality -
  • Phalaena hera (Linnaeus, 1767)
Flight Period: July-September
Habitat: Coastal Cliffs : Undercliffs : Gardens : Rough disturbed ground : Hedgerows
Similar Species -
  • None
Larva: The 50mm final instar larva is almost black with a broad orange dorsal stripe and cream subdorsal marks. There are large orange brown pinacual from which brown setae or bristles emanate. The head is black.
Pupa: Pupates in a silken cocoon
Overwinters as: Small larva among larval food plant
Observations: This moth is unmistakable with its black and creamy white stripes on the forewing and bright red hindwing covered  in black spots.
There are few variations in this moth although some forms tinge the hindwing in either orange or yellow (See taxonomy below)

Although this is a nationally scarce moth it has increased its range along the south coast over the past years from its stronghold in the channel islands and almost certainly more of this will happen as conditions allow.

The larva of this moth is polyphagous feeding on a wide range of food plants.
Subspecies
E.q quadripunctaria - nominal subspecies -  Baltic, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, European Russia, Caucasus, W.Europe
Larva
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website where further information like photos,physical characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
  • Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
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Type Species - EUPLAGIA:

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Subspecies:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuoidea
Erebidae
Arctiinae
Arctiini
EUPLAGIA Hübner,1820
Euplagia quadripunctaria (Poda, 1761)
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Phalaena hera (Linnaeus, 1767)
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PHALAENA quadripunctaria (Poda, 1761)
= Panaxia quadripunctaria
= Phalaena quadripunctaria Poda, 1761
= plataginis Scopoli, 1763
= Phalaena hera Linnaeus, 1767
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Insecta Musei Græcensis, quæ in ordines, genera et species juxta systema naturæ Caroli Linnæi. - pp. [1-4], 1-127, [1-12], Tab. 1-2. Graecus [= Graz]. (Widmanstadius). : Title Page : p.89 - n.20
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Not given in original publication
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E.q.f. saturnina Oberthür, 1892 - hindwing tinged with orange
E.q.f. lutescens Staudinger,1861 - hindwing tinged with yellow
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E.q quadripunctaria - nominal subspecies -  Baltic, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, European Russia, Caucasus, W.Europe
E.q.fulgida Oberthür,1896 - Transcaucasia, Kopet Dagh, Greece, Turkey, Syria, N.Iran - greenish lustre, hindwing black spots stretched
E.q.rhodosensis (Daniel,1953) - Rhodes - accentuated lustre
E.q.ingridae Roesler, 1968 - W Turkey - cross lines thicker