Rugby Fan.

During the summer months London Wasps Rugby Club employ Cinnabar Moths to make scarves for the forthcoming season.

The Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae wears a rather smart irridescent dark green kit with crimson spots and stripes. It is mostly noctural but does fly during the day if disturbed from its resting place.

The eggs are layed on Ragwort plants and hatch into caterpillars with remarkable orange and black hoops, so loved by the aforementioned rugby club.

I don't know what species Eric Carle based his children's book 'The Very Hungry Caterpilllar' on but the story of this little chap would not make such good reading.

On Monday he ate through one Ragwort leaf
On Tuesday he ate through two Ragwort leaves
On Wednesday he ate through three Ragwort leaves
On Thursday he ate through four Ragwort leaves
On Friday he ate through five Ragwort leaves
You get the gist!

Such a boring diet wouldn't suit me, so I'm off now to another BBQ, a celebration for the Andrews Sisters. (No, you oldies, not those ones!)

I have posted a very poor/blurry image of the cinnabar moth in my blipfolio