Phenotypic-change
Guides
Arctia caja
Garden Tiger, Great Tiger Moth
Large, conspicuously colored moth with a wingspan up to 65 mm. Forewings are cryptic brown with irregular cream-colored bands; hindwings are orange (rarely yellow) with large rounded bluish spots. This aposematic species sequesters toxic alkaloids for defense. The species has undergone significant decline in the U.K. over the past 30 years, accompanied by phenotypic changes including longer, narrower wings and reduced genetic diversity.