I have been in Devon for the past week, and during my visit I saw a moth I have never seen before. It was flying during the daytime, fluttering around some water mint (Mentha aquatica) that was in flower. Its flight was very flappy and fluttery and lollopy, almost as if someone was bouncing it around on a string from above. I knew it was a tiger moth of some sort because of the red flashes of the hind wing, similar to those on the scarlet tiger moths which frequent our garden. It was very bold and unafraid, flying very close to me.
I didn’t have my camera with me, curses, so once it settled on a mint flower and started feeding I made an effort to remember the beautiful patterning on its fore wings. Google was my friend, yet again, and told me it was a Jersey tiger moth, Euplagia quadripunctaria.
Jersey tiger moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria) on Hemp agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum). Photo by Rosenzweig.
What surprised me was that the range of this moth is ‘widely distributed in Europe from Estonia and Latvia in the north to the Mediterranean coast and islands in the south. It is also found in West Russia, South Urals, Asia Minor, Rhodes and nearby islands, the Near East, Caucasus, South Turkmenistan, and Iran.’ So what on earth was it doing in south Devon? I read on.
Settled with its fore wings covering its hind wings. Photo by Hamon jp.
Until fairly recently, this moth’s only presence in the UK was in the Channel Islands. This raised questions—as northern France is not listed in its range (‘Mediterranean coast’ could possibly include southern France), how did it get to the Channel Islands? Was it an introduction there, either deliberate or accidental? It takes its English common name from the largest of the Channel Islands.
In Victorian times, apart from its presence in the Channel Islands, it was very rarely known in the UK, occurring mainly in one locality in Devon. Since then it has spread to Cornwall, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, with an outlier population in Kent. Another breeding population became established in London in 2004. The moths are gradually spreading northwards and eastwards from their West Country base. Fabulous!
It was very exciting to see a new and such a beautiful moth species. I wonder how long until they arrive in Wiltshire?
Update: They’re already here! On 12 August last year (2013) the second ever recorded Jersey tiger moth in Wiltshire was photographed at Trowbridge, which is north of us. So we might well see one sooner than I had hoped!