What is the cinnabar moth?
Q: What is the cinnabar moth?
A: The cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae) is a brightly colored arctiid moth found in Europe and western and central Asia. It has been introduced into New Zealand, Australia, and North America to control poisonous ragwort.
Q: How does the cinnabar moth get its name?
A: The cinnabar moth gets its name from the red mineral cinnabar due to the red patches on its mostly black wings.
Q: What are the physical characteristics of a cinnabar moth?
A: Cinnabar moths are about 20mm long with a wingspan of 32–42 mm (1.3-1.7 in). They are day-flying insects with bright colors that act as warning signs for predators.
Q: What do larvae feed on?
A: Larvae feed on members of the genus Senecio, such as ragwort, and absorb toxic and bitter tasting alkaloid substances from their foodplants which makes them unable to be eaten by predators themselves.
Q: How many eggs can females lay at once?
A: Females can lay up to 300 eggs at once usually in clusters of 30 to 60.
Q: How have cinnabar moths been used as biocontrol agents? A: Cinnabar moths have proven successful as biocontrol agents for ragwort when used in conjunction with the ragwort flea beetle in the western United States.
