Cinnabar moth; Polilla cinabrio

Tyria jacobaeae

Description:

This moth is named after the red mineral cinnabar (mercury sulpphide, HgS) because of the red patches on its predominantly black wings. Cinnabar moths are about 20mm long and have a wingspan of 32–42 mm. Cinnabar moths are day-flying insects. Like many other brightly coloured moths, it is unpalatable; the larvae use members of the genus Senecio as foodplants. Newly hatched larvae feed from the underneath of ragwort leaves within the area of their old eggs. The larvae absorb bitter tasting alkaloid substances from the foodplants, and assimilate them, becoming unpalatable themselves. The bright colours of both the larvae and the moths act as warning signs, so they are seldom eaten by predators. The cinnabar caterpillars, due to lack of food, can turn cannibalistic.