The Garden Tiger Moth is a striking looking moth that is common throughout England, although it has started to decline in the south-east. It can be seen in damp meadows, scrubland, grassland, parks and gardens around June to August. It usually flies very late at night and is very rarely seen in the day.

Each Garden Tiger Moth seems to have its own individual appearance because no two moths look exactly alike. However, most of these moths have forewings which are a chocolate-brown colour with lots of white lines running through them and the hindwings are usually a spectacular reddish orange colour with black spots. Sometimes the hindwings can be a yellow or light brown colour.

The female Garden Tiger Moth lays her eggs on the underside of a variety of leaves such as nettle, dock, honeysuckle leaves and on garden plants. A very hairy black or brown caterpillar emerges from each egg and because of all the hairs it is often referred to as the ‘woolly bear’. These hairs can cause skin rashes on humans. The caterpillar hibernates over winter and then forms a cocoon by spinning a silk case around itself and attaches itself among vegetation. A month later a beautiful Garden Tiger Moth emerges out of the cocoon.