About Arctia testudinaria (Geoffroy, 1785)
Arctia testudinaria, commonly known as Patton's tiger, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae. It was first described by Geoffroy in 1785. This moth can be found in a range extending from northern Spain through southern and central France and southern Switzerland to north-eastern and southern Italy, and it has also been recorded in Great Britain. Its typical habitat includes grasslands, slopes, forest edges, clear dry forests, cliffs, mountain slopes, maquis, garrigues, and dry meadows. The wingspan of adult Arctia testudinaria measures 35–45 mm. Adults are active on the wing during May and July. The larvae feed on a variety of low-growing plants, including Plantago, Rumex, Achillea, Euphorbia cyparissias, Potentilla, Hieracium, Taraxacum, Cynoglossum, Deschampsia, and Calamagrostis. This species overwinters in its larval stage, and pupation most often occurs under flat stones. As a result of phylogenetic research published by Rönkä et al. in 2016, this species, along with other species originally placed in the genus Hyphoraia, was moved to the genus Arctia.
