News item no. 4227

2014-05-09 Megan Loftie-Eaton 



FLUTTERBY FRIDAY features the Crimson Speckled Footman / Lappieskombers (Utetheisa pulchella) - this stunning moth belongs to the family Arctiidae. The Arctiidae are a large and diverse (sub)family of moths, with around 11,000 species found all over the world, including 6,000 neo-tropical species. This group includes the groups commonly known as tiger moths (or tigers), which usually have bright colours, footmen, lichen moths, and wasp moths. Many species have 'hairy' caterpillars which are popularly known as woolly bears or woolly worms.

The Crimson Speckled Footman is widespread throughout Africa. Other subspecies are also found in southern Europe, central and southern Asia, and Australia! Please do submit your photos of moths and butterflies to LepiMAP at -- LepiMAP is the African moth and butterfly mapping project. Make your photos count for conservation!