Editing Scarlet tiger moth

{{short description|Species of moth}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Scarlet tiger moth
| image = Callimorpha dominula BUND.jpg
| image_caption = Dorsal view
| image2 = Arctiidae - Callimorpha dominula-1.JPG
| image2_caption = Ventral view
| taxon = Callimorpha dominula
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[Lepidoptera in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
| synonyms = ''Panaxia dominula''
}}

The '''scarlet tiger moth''' ('''''Callimorpha dominula''''', formerly ''Panaxia dominula'') is a colorful moth belonging to the tiger moth subfamily, [[Arctiinae (moth)|Arctiinae]]. The species was [[Species description|first described]] by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in his 1758 [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'']].<ref>[https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id54927/ "Scarlet Tiger ''Callimorpha dominula'' (Linnaeus, 1758)"]. ''BioLib.cz''. Retrieved August 21, 2019.</ref>

==Subspecies==
Subspecies within this species include:<ref name=BB>{{cite web |last=Savela |first=Markku |url=https://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/noctuoidea/arctiidae/arctiinae/callimorpha/#dominula |title=''Callimorpha dominula'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |website=Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms |accessdate=August 21, 2019}}</ref>
* ''Callimorpha dominula dominula'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small> (Baltic, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, western Russia and central Europe)
* ''Callimorpha dominula lusitanica'' <small>Staudinger, 1894</small> (Portugal)
* ''Callimorpha dominula pompalis'' <small>Nitsche, [1926]</small> (valleys of the southern Alps)
* ''Callimorpha dominula persona'' <small>(Hübner, 1790)</small> (Italy south of the Alps, excluding Piedmont and southern Alpine valleys)
* ''Callimorpha dominula trinacriae'' <small>Nardelli & Giandolfo, 1996</small> (Sicily)
* ''Callimorpha dominula profuga'' <small>(Goeze, 1781)</small> (Balkans: Macedonia (Scopje); Albania; Greece; western Turkey)
* ''Callimorpha dominula rossica'' <small>Kolenati, 1846</small> (Caucasus, Transcaucasia, except Talysh Mountains; north-western Iran)
* ''Callimorpha dominula philippsi'' <small>Bartel, 1906</small> (Talysh Mountains, northern Iran, southern Turkmenistan)
* ''Callimorpha dominula kurdistanica'' <small>Thomas, 1983</small> (south-eastern Turkey, possibly Iraq)

==Distribution and habitat==
This species is present in most of Europe and in the [[Near East]] ([[Turkey]], [[South Caucasus]] and northern [[Iran]]).<ref name=BB/><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235438/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=447055 ''Fauna Europaea'']</ref> These moths prefer damp areas ([[wet meadow]]s, river banks, fens and marshes), but they also can be found on rocky cliffs close to the sea.<ref name=AA/><ref name=CC>[http://www.commanster.eu/commanster/Insects/Moths/SuMoths/Callimorpha.dominula.html "''Callimorpha'' [''Panaxia''&#93; ''dominula'' (Linnaeus 1758) (Family Erebidae)"]. ''The Ecology of Commanster''.</ref>

==Description==
''Callimorpha dominula'' has a [[wingspan]] of {{convert|45|-|55|mm}}. Adults of this species are quite variable in color. The forewings usually have a metallic-green sheen on the blackish areas, with white and yellow or orange markings. Hindwings are red with three large and irregular black markings. These moths may also occur in rare color forms, one with yellow hindwings and body and one with extended black on hindwings. The thorax is black glossed with green and shows two longitudinal short yellow stripes.<ref>[[Sir William Jardine, 7th Baronet|Jardine, William]]. [https://books.google.com/books?id=DVMLAQAAIAAJ&dq=Callimorpha+dominula+length&pg=PA208 ''The Naturalist's Library'']</ref> The abdomen is black. The scarlet tiger moth has developed mouthparts, that allow it to feed on nectar.<ref name=AA>{{cite web |last=Kimber |first=Ian |url=https://ukmoths.org.uk/species/callimorpha-dominula/ |title=72.029 BF2068 Scarlet Tiger ''Callimorpha dominula'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |website=UKMoths |accessdate=August 21, 2019}}</ref> The caterpillars can reach a length of about {{convert|40|mm}}. They are dark gray with yellow stripes and small white dots.

==Biology==
The [[Imago|imagines]] are active during the day in May and June. This species has a single generation. The [[caterpillar]]s are polyphagous. They mainly feed on [[comfrey]] (''Symphytum officinale''), but also on a number of other plants (''[[Urtica]]'', ''[[Cynoglossum]]'', ''[[Fragaria]]'', ''[[Fraxinus]]'', ''[[Geranium]]'', ''[[Lamium]]'', ''[[Lonicera]]'', ''[[Myosotis]]'', ''[[Populus]]'', ''[[Prunus]]'', ''[[Ranunculus]]'', ''[[Rubus]]'', ''[[Salix]]'' and ''[[Ulmus]]'' species).<ref name=BB/><ref name=CC/><ref name=AA/><ref>Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfili [http://www.leps.it/indexjs.htm?SpeciesPages/CallimDomin.htm "''Callimorpha dominula'' (Linnaeus, 1758)"]. ''Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa''.</ref>

The three [[polymorphism (biology)|morphs]] occurring in the population at the Cothill reserve in [[Oxfordshire]], [[United Kingdom|Britain]], have been the subject of considerable genetic study (McNamara 1998), including research by [[E. B. Ford]], [[Ronald Fisher]] and [[Denis Owen]]. Don McNamara (1998) describes how amateurs can rear this species.<ref>McNamara, Don (1998). [https://www.amentsoc.org/publications/bulletin/articles/rearing-the-scarlet-tiger-moth.html "Notes on rearing the Scarlet Tiger moth ''Callimorpha dominula'' (L.)"]. ''Amateur Entomologists' Society''.</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="240" heights="180">
File:Callimorpha dominula eggs.jpg|Eggs
File:Arctiidae - Callimorpha dominula-2.JPG|Caterpillar
File:Callimorpha dominula chrysalis.jpg|Chrysalis
File:Arctiidae - Callimorpha dominula.JPG|Imago
</gallery>

==Bibliography==
* Dubatolov, V. V. (2010) "Tiger-moths of Eurasia (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae) (Nyctemerini by Rob de Vos & Vladimir V. Dubatolov)". ''Neue Entomologische Nachrichten''. '''65''': 1–106.
* [[Ronald Fisher|Fisher, R. A.]] & [[E. B. Ford|Ford, E. B.]] (1947). [https://web.archive.org/web/20040804015319/http://www.library.adelaide.edu.au/digitised/fisher/219.pdf "The spread of a gene in natural conditions in a colony of the moth ''Panaxia dominula'' L."]. ''Heredity''. '''1''': 143–174.
* Fisher, R. A. & Ford, E. B. (1950). "The 'Sewall Wright' effect". ''Heredity''. '''4''': 117–119.
* Ford, E. B. & [[Philip Sheppard (biologist)|Sheppard, P. M.]] (1969). "The medionigra polymorphism of ''Panaxia dominula''". ''Heredity''. '''24''': 112–134.
* Kettlewell, H. B. D. (1943). "A survey of the insect ''Panaxia'' (''Callimorpha'') ''dominula'', L.". ''Proceedings of the South London Entomological and Natural History Society''. '''1942-43''' (pt. 1): 1-49, pl. I-IV, IVa.
* Kettlewell, H. B. D. (1943) "Original descriptions of new forms of ''Panaxia (Callimorpha) dominula'', L., and ''Panaxia rossica'', Kolenati". ''The Entomologist's Record and Journal of Variation''. '''55''': 45–48.
* Nardelli, U. & Giandolfo, B. (1996). "Anmerkungen uber die siziliansche Population von ''Callimorpha dominula'' L. mit Bschreibung einer neuen Untrart (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)" [Observations on the population of ''Callimorpha dominula'' L. from Sicily, with description of a new subspecies (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)]. ''Nachrichten des Entomologischen Vereins, Apollo, N.F.'' '''17''' (3): 283–299.
* Sheppard, P. M. (1951). "A quantitive study of two populations of the moth ''Panaxia dominula'' (L.)". ''Heredity''. '''5''': 349–378.
* Sheppard, P. M. (1952). "A note on non-random mating in the moth ''Panaxia dominula'' L.". ''Heredity''. '''5''' 349–378.
* Sheppard, P. M. & Cook, L. M. (1962). "The manifold effects of the medionigra gene of the moth ''Panaxia dominula'' and the maintenance of polymorphism". ''Heredity''. '''17''': 415–426.
* [[Sewall Wright|Wright, S.]] (1948). "On the roles of directed and random changes in the frequency of genetics of populations". ''Evolution''. '''2''': 279–294.
* Thomas, W. (1983) "Eine neue ''Callimorpha dominula'' – Unterart aus der Osttürkei (Lep.: Arctiidae)". ''Entomologische Zeitschrift''. '''93''' (8): 107–110. the animals are colorful

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons|Callimorpha dominula}}
{{wikispecies|Callimorpha dominula}}
* [http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Callimorpha_Dominula "10603 ''Callimorpha dominula'' (Linnaeus, 1758) - Schönbär"]. ''Lepiforum e.V.''
* [http://www.schmetterling-raupe.de/art/dominula.htm "KR 10603 ''Callimorpha dominula'' (L., 1758) Schönbär Scarlet Tiger"]. ''Portal für Schmetterlinge und Raupen''.

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1478584}}

[[Category:Callimorphina]]
[[Category:Moths described in 1758]]
[[Category:Moths of Europe]]
[[Category:Moths of Asia]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]