Lymantriidae

Attenborough, Nottinghamshire, England - August 2012

The Yellow-tail is found throughout most of lowland England and Wales in woodland and scrub habitats, including gardens.  The orangy-yellow tip to the Yellow-tail's abdomen is usually hidden beneath the tent-like folded wings when it is at rest, as in the photo below.  If it feels threatened, such as this one above did when I gently blew on it, it raises its abdomen above the level of its wings to display the brightly coloured tip as a signal to would-be predators that it is distasteful.

West Glamorgan, Wales - July 2011