Cream-spot tiger

Description:

Epicallia villica, the cream-spot tiger, is a moth of the family Arctiidae. The species is distributed from the Iberian Peninsula across western and southern Europe, Anatolia, western and northern Iran, West Siberia, Southwest Asia and North Africa. The wingspan of these moths reaches 45–60 mm. They have black or greyish forewings with white and cream broad patches and spots. The bright red/orange hind wings have black spots. The thorax is black and the abdomen is reddish-orange. The highly-coloured parts are bright scarlet on a newly-emerged insect and tend to dull to orange with age. The caterpillars are black with light brown tufts of hairs, while the head and the legs are reddish. They can reach a length of about 12–12 mm.

Habitat:

This species inhabits woodland, areas with bushes and hedges and sunny open grassy areas.

Notes:

Photos taken @ Bikodze, Bosnia & Herzegovina.