What I want to talk about is the Garden Tiger. This, like the Celtic Tiger, is rapidly in decline. It was once a common moth of the British Isles but over the last thirty years has experienced a decline of about 89%. Somewhat less well off than our economy you might say, but this is a thing of beauty.
It is a nocturnal moth found throughout Eusope as far north as Lapland, in Asia and also in North America. Being a large moth attracted to light sources I wonder why I have never seen it before, particularly as it has a most striking pattern and when its wings are spread it shows a most beautiful, rich orange hind wing. These serve as a warning to predators since it has toxic body fluids and its hairs are an irritant.
Whilst I was at home in Ireland there was an article in the Metro Herald newspaper of the 22nd August about this saying how rare it was. I couldn´t believe that every night I would go outside my mother-in-laws house there would be two or three of them around the outside light she has.
So there you go, there are still some tigers in Ireland, somewhat nasty to taste and touch, but stunningly beautiful to behold.
