Phragmatobia fuliginosa
Phragmatobia fuliginosa, the ruby tiger, is a moth of the family Erebidae. Subspecies. Subspecies include: Distribution. "Phragmatobia fuliginosa" can be found in the Palearctic realm. It is present in most of Europe, in North Africa, Russia, Central Asia, Tibet, and in northern areas of North America. Habitat. This species inhabits moist open forest and meadow areas, mixed hardwood forests at low elevations, open meadows or prairies and in agricultural areas at low elevations. It is common on low-growing plants, on high-roads, railway embankments and waste fields. On warm days in the winter the larvae sometimes leave  their hiding-places and are then found on fieldpaths and roads, running about quickly. Technical description. "Phragmatobia fuliginosa" has a wingspan of 35–45 mm. The ruby tiger has the thorax and forewings dark reddish brown with a blackish comma-shaped spot at the apex of the cell, edged with carmine. Hindwings are carmine, more or less hyaline in the costal area, with more or less confluent black spots before the margin and at the apex of the cell. The name-typical form ""Phragmatobia fuliginosa" L. has the forewing rather densely scaled and the hindwing bright rose-red with distinct black  spots. Underside strongly suffused with purple-pink. The eggs are reddish grey. The larva is light or dark grey with a black brown head. The entire body is covered with foxy red hairs. These hairs are always more black brown in "placida", and sometimes so in "fuliginosa". The pupa is black with the abdomen marked with yellow in the segmental incision. Variations. "Phragmatobia fuliginosa borealis" has vivid black markings and the red is confined to the sides of the abdomen and the anal part of the hindwing. "Phragmatobia fuliginosa ab. subnigra" Mill., that has very dark forewings, must not be  confused with the northern form; it is scarcely darker than true "fuliginosa", and not so strongly hyaline as "borealis". In "Phragmatobia fuliginosa" ab. "flavescens" Schultz the abdomen and hindwing are yellow instead of red. The full species "Phragmatobia amurensis" Seitz, 1910 is a form of the same size as "Phragmatobia fervida", but is in colour it is almost exactly like "fuliginosa", the forewing however being broader. "Phragmatobia pulverulenta" Alph. is a transition to "fervida", the forewing being lighter than in "fuliginosa", more yellowish brown, and the hindwing lighter and clearer, more flesh-colour, and with well-defined marginal spots. "Phragmatobia  fuliginosa fervida" Stgr., from Turkestan and northern China, is the largest and lightest form. The forewings are strongly tinged with yellowish red, and therefore almost the same colour as the hindwings, the latter bear strongly reduced dots. "Phragmatobia placida" Friv., from South-East Europe, Asia, Minor and Turkestan, is a very large form, usually regarded as a separate species ["Phragmatobia placida" (Frivaldszky, 1835)], with the forewing more triangular and uniformly dark brown, and the hindwing pure light pink spotted with black. The forewing bears a carmine dot at the upper angle of the cell. Biology. The moth flies from May  to August depending on the location. It is double-brooded in the south of England, flying in April to June, and again in August and September. In the north it is a univoltine species, with just one generation in June. The caterpillars are polyphagous, feeding on various plants, mainly "Rubus fruticosus", "Prunus spinosa", "Filipendula ulmaria", "Plantago lanceolata", "Senecio jacobaea", "Salix repens", "Salix starkeana", "Salix phylicifolia", "Polygonum" spp., "Rumex crispus", "Potentilla erecta", "Rubus idaeus", "Trifolium" spp., "Chamaenerion angustifolium", "Calluna vulgaris", "Vaccinium myrtillus", "Vaccinium uliginosum", "Andromeda polifolia", "Plantago major", "Taraxacum vulgare" and "Taraxacum officinale".