Euplagia quadripunctaria, the Jersey Tiger

[Pierre Zagatti]

Very common everywhere in France, this species has been included in the EC
directive on habitats
(97/62/CE) in annex 2, which means 'species of European interest which
conservation needs
special protected zones'.
This is a complete nonsense, because this Arctiidae may be found in all
biotopes, from strictly xeric
to wetlands (also in gardens). The species is apparently expanding
throughout the continent.
There was perhaps a misinterpretation from the bureaucracy, because the
subspecies
rhodonensis, endemic from Rhode Island (the true one, under the
colossus...) is reported
as endangered (I guess tourism is very bad for nature in many
Mediterranean islands).
see Legakis A., 1997. - Background information on invertebrates of the
Habitats Directive and the Bern Convention.
Part I - Crustacea, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. p. 90-92, Nature &
Environment 79, Council of Europe, Strasbourg.

--
Pierre ZAGATTI
INRA Unite de Phytopharmacie et Mediateurs Chimiques
78026 Versailles Cedex
FRANCE
Tel: (33) 1 30 83 31 18
e-mail zagatti at versailles.inra.fr
http://www.jouy.inra.fr/papillon/