Look out for Jersey Tigers!

Jersey Tiger on Buddleia
The Jersey Tiger is a large and striking black and cream triangular moth with a reddish-orange or yellow hindwing marked with black. The first published record for the British mainland was from Newhaven, East Sussex in 1855, before colonising South Devon in 1880s. It is suggested that colonisation resulted from a deliberate introduction from the Channel Islands. The moth slowly spread eastwards along the Channel coast finally reaching Hampshire in the early 1990s when one was recorded on the Isle of Wight. Within 10 years one appeared in a moth trap in Pennington. Expansion has accelerated recently and it is recorded with increasing frequency on an annual basis in our part of Hampshire having presumably become an established resident. The Jersey Tiger has now spread further east.

Jersey Tigers, Pennington
The flight period is from late July until early September with numbers peaking during August. Keep an eye open for this attractive moth as it can sometimes be found at rest on walls near lights, or perhaps nectaring during the day on garden plants such as Buddleia. If you see one please make a note of when and where and let us know either at a meeting or by email and the record will be passed on to the Hampshire Moth Recorder.