Ragwort and the Cinnabar Moth

 The Ragwort plant is very poisionous to horses and other animals, fortunately most creatures don't like the taste of Ragwort. But there is one little creature that loves Ragwort.

The Cinnabar Moth

 Adult Cinnabar Moths lay their eggs on the Ragwort

 and when they hatch the caterpillars eat the leaves.

The caterpillars  absorb the bitter tasting alkaloids that make Ragwort taste horrible to other animals this then makes the caterpillars taste horrible to birds. The bright striped black and orange-yellow colour of the Cinnabar Moth caterpillars is a warning to birds not to eat them.

Photographs of the Cinnabar Moth courtesy of My Equestrian World