Jersey tiger moths

[Farfalla]

Hello,

I'm new here so I don't know how accepted it may or may not be to start a topic about moths!

I just wanted to talk about the Jersey tiger moths that come into my garden and surrounding area. This is the third July that they've occurred, and I only realised today that they are Jerseys rather than another kind of tiger.

I live in Croydon, South London - not the most natural place in the world! My garden however is full of bushes and flowers and left fairly natural, and locally there are wooded and green spaces amongst the concrete, so I can see why we get a diverse range of insects but I remember being surprised when I first saw these. They are so striking.

I read that they have only come up this far north in the last few years. Does anyone else get them and where?

I haven't seen any feeding but as I have been lucky enough to see them close up I see they look like nectar feeders. What plants do they favour? I wonder if something around here attracts them (I have never seen any away from the local vicinity) or if they are actually quite widespread.

I will post a picture of one that flew onto my knee.

[MrSp0ck]

The Jersey Tigers have been in and around the Croydon Area for at least 7 or 8 years now. They were first found in Forest Hill in the early 2000s and have spread widely from there. Devonshire Road Nature Reserve i think was the first location, a railway line reserve in Lewisham, the moths used this railway line to spread to Croydon.

The first Record for Hutchinson's Bank Nature Reserve in Addington, Croydon in 2013, they had been at Addington Village for about 4 years. We have an Openday at Hutchinson's Bank on Sunday 20th July [11am - 3pm], so some might be seen along with the Dark Green Fritillary.

With Glanville Fritillaries at Hutchinson's Bank since 2010 these 2 warm loving species are surviving now. The 2014 index on the transect for Glanvilles is 30. With 6 seen after the transect had already been walked in early May, so were not on that weeks count.

[Farfalla]

Martin!!

You are the one who got me interested in butterflies and moths! I thought it was you when I saw Hutchinson's Bank mentioned - you used to do guided walks there which I went on!

I will definitely come to the Open Day.

[Farfalla]

Not a great photo I know - I only had my mobile camera at hand.

[MrSp0ck]

Yes it is me Martin.

details of walks and sightings are on my blog Martins Butterflies

http://spock-butterflies.blogspot.co.uk/

[Farfalla]

Are they sexually dimorphic? I've noticed that some are quite a 'dull' (hard to call it that) orange and some are very vibrant red. I haven't found anything about it online or in the few books I have. Or is there just a lot of variation?

[MrSp0ck]

The forms of Jersey Tigers vary from red through orange to yellow.

The forms that were at Devonshire Rd Nature reserve were orange and red, so they will interbreed with each other as well.

[JCL]

Jersey Tigers abound around us in Blackheath, just up the hill from Lewisham. I had 40 in my moth trap two nights ago!

James