Other Moths

Not as big as the Hawk Moths but some of our smaller native moths are extremely pretty and the caterpillars are great fun to rear.
The list of caterpillar food plants listed below are just a guide, some of them will eat other plants.

​All species shown below are currently in our keeping.
​
Most of our eggs / caterpillars are available in our shop in spring & summer, depending on species, but occasionally we have some spare pupae or overwintering caterpillars left in the autumn.

Acronicta leporina - Miller Moth
Wingspan: 35 - 45mm
Caterpillars feed on Birch, Beech, Alder, Hazel, Oak & Willow.
​Flight Period: June - August.
​They overwinter as pupae.

Acronicta psi - Grey Dagger Moth
Wingspan 35 - 40mm
Caterpillars feed on Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Prunus & Birch.
Flight Period: June - August.
​​They overwinter as pupae.

Angerona prunaria - Orange Moth
Wingspan: 35 - 45mm
Caterpillars feed on Blackthorn, Honeysuckle, Poplar & Hawthorn.
Flight Period: May - August.
​They overwinter as caterpillars.

Arctia caja - Garden Tiger
​Wingspan: 45 - 65mm
​Caterpillars feed on a number of plants including fruit trees, rose, bramble, birch, blackthorn & hawthorn.
​Flight Period: July - August.
​They overwinter as caterpillars.

Cerapteryx graminis - Antler Moth
Wingspan 25 - 35mm
Caterpillars feed on grasses.
​Flight Period: June - September.
​They overwinter as eggs.

Cucullia verbasci
Wingspan 45 - 50mm
Caterpillars feed on Verbascum & Buddleia
Flight Period: April - May
​They overwinter as pupae, sometimes for 2 years.

Diachrisia sannio - Clouded Buff
Wingspan 35 - 45mm
Caterpillars feed on Heathers, Rumex, Viola & Nettles.
Flight Period: June - July.
​They overwinter as caterpillars.

Euthrix potatoria - Drinker Moth
Wingspan 45 - 65mm
Caterpillar food plants: grasses & reeds (we use Reed Canary Grass ‘Phalaris arundinacea’)
Flight Period: July - August.
They overwinter as caterpillars.

Griposia aprilina - Merveille du Jour
Wingspan 40 - 50mm
Caterpillar food plants: Oak.
Flight Period: September - October.
​They overwinter as eggs.

Lassiocampa quercus - Oak Eggar
Wingspan 45 - 75mm
​Caterpillars feed on Heathers.
​Flight Period: June - August.
​They can overwinter as caterpillars or pupae.

Malacosoma neustria - Lackey Moth
Wingspan 25 - 40mm
Caterpillars feed on Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Prunus, Oak & Willow.
​Flight Period: July - August.
They overwinter as eggs.

Miltochrista miniata - Rosy Footman
Wingspan 25mm
Caterpillars feed on Lichens.
​Flight Period: July - August.
​They overwinter as pupae.

Opisthograptis luteolata - Brimstone Moth
Wingspan 32 - 35mm
Caterpillars feed on Hawthorn, Blackthorn & Rowan.
Flight Period:  April - September.
​Mostly overwinter as pupae.

Orgyia antiqua - Rusty Tussock (aka vaporer moth)
Wingspan: 25 - 30mm
Caterpillars feed on a number of plants & shrubs including fruit trees, rose, bramble, birch, blackthorn & hawthorn.
​They overwinter as caterpillars.
Flight Period: July - September.
* The female moths of this species are wingless & spend their short lives waiting on the cocoon for a male so she can lay her eggs *

Orgyia recens - Scarce Vaporer Moth
Wingspan 25 - 30mm
Caterpillars feed on Sorrel, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Oak, Rose & Brambles.
​Flight Period: July - September.
​They overwinter as caterpillars.
​* The female moths of this species are wingless & spend their short lives waiting on the cocoon for a male so she can lay her eggs *

​Phalera bucephala - Buff Tip
Wingspan: 50mm
Caterpillars feed on Oak, Willow, Birch, Hazel & Prunus.
​Flight Period: June - August.
​They overwinter as pupae.

Ptilodon capucina - Coxcomb Prominent
Wingspan 35 - 40mm
Caterpillars feed on Hawthorn, Prunus, Birch, Apple & Willow.
​Flight Period: May - August.
They overwinter as pupae.

Spilosoma lutea - Buff Ermine
Wingspan: 35 - 40mm
Caterpillars feed on Oak, Alder, Honeysuckle, Dandelion, Raspberry & Plantain.
​Flight Period: May - July.
​They overwinter as pupae.

Tyria jacobaeae - Cinnabar
Wingspan: 30 - 40mm
Caterpillars feed on Ragwort & Groundsel.
​Flight Period: May - July.
They overwinter as pupae.

Utetheisa pulchella - Crimson Speckled Moth
Wingspan: 30 - 40mm
Caterpillars are reported to eat a wide range of plants but I have only had year round success with Forget-me-not leaves.
Flight Period: July - September
(This species is a rare migrant to the Uk occasionally seen from mid-summer to autumn)
I have not tried to over winter these but keep them year round between 18 & 20*C