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Garden Tiger

Arctia caja

Not yet photographed by the community

Bold orange-and-black hindwings; "woolly bear" caterpillar.

Species Profile

Red List (UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species); showing significant long-term decline in abundance and distribution

Lifespan: 1–2 years as adults in the wild, with larvae overwintering for several months
Size & Weight: Wingspan 42–56 mm; relatively robust and heavily built
Habitat: Rough grassland, woodland edges, gardens, and areas with abundant low-growing herbaceous plants and nettles
UK Distribution: Found throughout much of England, Wales, and southern Scotland; absent from far northern regions. Largely resident, though numbers fluctuate; some continental immigration recorded in certain years
Diet: Larvae are polyphagous herbivores feeding on various plants including nettles, docks, plantains, and teasels; adults feed on nectar and pollen
Predators: Spiders, robber flies, parasitic flies (Tachinidae), ground beetles, and insectivorous birds including robins and wrens
Mating Season: June to August
Breeding: Females lay 200–300 eggs in clusters on host plants; single generation per year; larvae develop through summer and autumn, overwintering as pupae or semi-grown larvae
Behaviour: Nocturnal and attracted to lights. Distinctively coloured, with bold aposematic crimson-red hindwings serving as warning coloration; if threatened, adults flash their hindwings and release defensive secretions. Males are attracted to females over considerable distances via pheromones

Did You Know?

•The larvae are densely covered in irritant hairs that can cause skin irritation and urticaria if handled; this defence is reflected in the adult's warning coloration
•Garden Tigers have declined by over 90% in some regions of the UK since the 1970s, likely due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and changes in vegetation management
•The species' genus name Arctia derives from the Greek word for bear, alluding to the hairy caterpillar
•Adults are relatively long-lived for moths and can live several weeks, allowing multiple mating opportunities
•The caterpillar's dense hair tufts ('woolly bear') are often collected by children, earning the species the common name 'Woolly Bear' in some regions

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