Cinnabar moth
Tyria jacobaeae
The moth sequesters pyrrolizidine alkaloids from its host plant, making both the caterpillar and the adult extremely distasteful and toxic to birds.
- Scientific name
- Tyria jacobaeae
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Erebidae › Tyria
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Open meadows, coastal dunes, heaths, and disturbed grasslands where ragwort is present.
- Diet
- Larvae feed on ragwort leaves and flowers; adults drink nectar from various wildflowers.
- Range
- Europe, Central Asia, North America, Australia, New Zealand
- Size
- 32–45 mm wingspan
- Lifespan
- 1 year
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to development and the widespread removal of ragwort, which is often considered a weed.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to humans. Avoid handling the larval caterpillars directly as their hairs may cause mild skin irritation. Do not ingest any part of the insect as it contains toxic alkaloids.
The cinnabar moth ( Tyria jacobaeae ) is a brightly coloured arctiid moth found in Europe and western and central Asia. It has been introduced into New Zealand, Australia and North America to control the poisonous and nectar-rich ragwort, on which its larvae feed. The moth is named after the red mineral cinnabar because of the red patches on its predominantly black wings. Cinnabar moths are about 20mm long and have a wingspan of 32–42 mm (1.3–1.7 in).
Photo: Christopher Stephens, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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