Cinnabar moth

[nanila]

A cinnabar moth flew into the house when I had the back door open a couple of weeks ago, so I took advantage of its visit to snap a few photos before the children and I escorted it back outside to the rudbeckia. I guess they're fond of the rudbeckia because they're from the same family (Asteraceae) as ragwort; we usually find the stems and leaves covered with cinnabar moth caterpillars. The caterpillars never seem to damage the plants to any serious extent, as they always bloom profusely in late summer.