Re: HELP PLEASE Question for moth experts
Originally Posted by
Twink55
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I have a beautiful black & red Cinnabar moth sitting on my window....it came in yesterday and has been here since.
https://www.wwb.co.uk/index.php?rout...roduct_id=6513
It is much cooler today so I am wondering if it is better to put it out or let it stay.
Can anybody offer advice?
Ooh! Lucky!
I had some cinnabar moths/caterpillars in my garden a few years ago when some ragwort sprang up. I'd never seen any before. They are wonderful!
I'm no expert, but it might be better to release it. It probably needs nourishment anyway.
They are day-flying moths, hence the bright colouring, to let birds know they are poisonous.
When the caterpillars were on the ragwort, they completely stripped it, and the black and yellow caterpillars were so visible, on the bare stems of the plant, that I couldn't understand why ththe birds didn't pick them off; however, a quick look in my butterflies and moths book explained how poisonous they were to birds, etc, hence the bright colours.
Edit....just looked up what you could feed it.....if you have any garden flowers you could offer it them, or very ripe fruit, or just plain sugar water 1:4 mix(white sugar), and soak some tissue in it, the source said. That would keep it going until you felt it was a bit warmer, perhaps?