Appearance
The wingspan is 35–45 mm. The ruby tiger has the thorax and forewing dark reddish brown with a blackish comma-shaped spot at the apex of the cell, edged with carmine.Hindwing carmine, more or less hyaline in the costal area, with more or less confluent black spots before the margin and at the apex of the cell. The name-typical form "fuliginosa" L. has the forewing rather densely scaled and the hindwing bright rose-red with distinct black spots.
Naming
*"Phragmatobia fuliginosa borealis"⤷ "Phragmatobia fuliginosa melitensis"
⤷ "Phragmatobia fuliginosa paghmani"
⤷ "Phragmatobia fuliginosa pulverulenta"
⤷ "Phragmatobia fuliginosa rubricosa"
⤷ "Phragmatobia fuliginosa taurica"
Behavior
The moth flies from May to August depending on the location.The egg is reddish grey. The larva is light or dark grey with a black brown head. The entire body is covered with foxy red hairs; these hairs are always more black brown in "placida", and sometimes so in "fuliginosa".
In June, late autumn and after hibernation in April, on low-growing plants, on high-roads, railway embankments and waste fields. On warm days in the winter the larvae sometimes leave their hiding-places and are then found on fieldpaths and roads, running about quickly.
Food
The caterpillars feed on various herbaceous plants. "Rubus fruticosus", "Prunus spinosa", "Filipendula ulmaria", "Plantago lanceolata", "Senecio jacobaea", "Taraxacum officinale".References:
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