Ragwort is more of a beacon of light than a flower for many insects, with the Cinnabar moth of RSPB Conwy, no exception to this rule. You will often find the black-and-orange striped caterpillars of the Cinnabar Moth having a munch on the Ragwort flower. Cinnabar holds a small flutter of these moths, which defy the dull- brown moths many associate with the moth. Indeed, RSPB Conwy have recorded 269 moth species so far this year, all with varied colouration. The Cinnabar Moths on this design hold the bright scarlet to brick-red colours of mercury(II) sulfide, or Cinnabar, which gave the moth its name. Through their love of Moorcroft design, our collectors have become apt at identifying insects.
Diving among the Ragwort, this design reveals the slate-black Cinnabar Moths with their two red spots and two pinkish-red stripes on the rounded forewings. Look carefully, and you will notice that their hindwings are pinkish-red and bordered with black and can be distinguished from the similar Burnet Moths, Vicky created for the RSPB Bempton Cliffs Seafarers Collection a few years ago, by its broader wings and red bars instead of spots.
