Fox Moth

Fascinating facts about the Fox Moth

• The fox moth is univoltine, completing one generation each year. Its larvae spend the cold months hibernating in leaf litter from September through March, then emerge to pupate as spring arrives. Adults take to the air between May and July, with males active in both afternoon and night, while females restrict their flights to darkness.
• Fox moth caterpillars are polyphagous, feeding on a roster that includes heather, bramble, grasses, birch, willow, aspen, vetch, several clovers, bilberry, strawberry, cinquefoil and wood geranium. Such a broad palate lets them thrive in varied habitats, from moorland to prairie.
• First recorded by Carl Linnaeus in the 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae, the fox moth has since spread across a continent-spanning belt from Western Europe all the way to Central Asia and Siberia.
• Male fox moths sport a wingspan ranging from 40 mm to 65 mm, while females are slightly larger and wear a paler, greyish hue.
• Caterpillars of the fox moth can grow to roughly 80 mm (3.1 in), beginning life as stark black segments highlighted with bright yellow or orange, then darkening as they mature while retaining a coat of blackish, tawny and light-grey hairs.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Fox Moth

In the warm, golden light of dawn, the Fox Moth stirs, its delicate wings unfolding like petals as it prepares to take to the air. With a gentle, fluttering motion, it rises into the breeze, its soft, furry body a blur of movement as it dances through the landscape in search of sweet nectar and tender leaves. As it flits from flower to flower, its subtle beauty is belied by a remarkable resilience, for this enchanting creature has adapted to thrive in a wide range of habitats, from sun-drenched meadows to shaded woodland glades.

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