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Sunday, 5 July 2015

Garden Tiger - threat display

A number of animals give a colourful display to warn off, or distract predators. Displays are classified as deimatic, where the threat is a bluff or aposematic where the animal is genuinely distasteful. 
The Garden Tiger has an aposematic display, the body fluids are poisonous,  where it walks whilst opening and closing its wings to flash the bright hindwing colours and eye like spots. After repeating the wing flashing several times the moth generally flies away, as this one taken in the garden last night did.
Estimates vary, but the Garden Tiger moth has declined by as much as 89% in the past 30 years and is listed for further research under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. 
Locally it can still be caught in reasonable numbers in some years in areas bordering the moors but appears to be absent in others. It's an occasional visitor to my garden in Darley Dale.
Garden Tiger - threat display

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