When disturbed the Yellow-tail Moth, Euproctis similis, sticks the end of its abdomen up between its wings. Both male and female have the yellow tip although it is larger in the female.
Some female moths spread pheromones by raising their tails and the males use their feathery antennae to home in on them.
So why does this male raise his ‘tail’ when disturbed? Is it a way to surprise a predator?
It’s the first time that this species has turned up in the moth trap.
Yellow-tail moth caterpillars have been found on Japanese Knotweed, an invasive garden escape which very few native insects feed on, but they’re more likely to feed on sallow, blackthorn and hawthorn.