This marker on the Cambridge Butterfly Trail is at Hobson’s Park – see the map above.

The Six-spot burnet is a dazzling dayflying moth frequently seen from June to August in grasslands, woodland rides and coastal cliffs across England and Wales.

Sporting glossy dark green wings with six bright red spots on each forewing, it’s the only UK burnet moth with six distinct marks; some spots may merge, but the six-spot is unmistakable. During sunny days it flutters slowly, visiting nectar-rich flowers like knapweed, thistles and scabious.

Its caterpillars feed mainly on bird’s foot trefoil, hibernating as larvae and pupating in papery cocoons attached to grass stalks. Aposematic colouring signals toxicity to predators and they release hydrogen cyanide if attacked.

Widely common yet truly hypnotic, the Six-spot burnet is a beloved emblem of summer meadows and a vivid reminder that moths can be just as spectacular as butterflies.

For more information, please visit Butterfly Conservation’s page on this species – Six-spot burnet.