Frequently found patrolling flower-rich grassland, visiting nectar-rich plants from June to August.
The six-spot burnet is widely distributed in the south of the archipelago from Mingulay to Berneray and Pabbay. Further north it has been recorded at only 3 locations. To try to establish the current distribution Outer Hebrides Biological Recording have organised a survey of cinnabar and six-spot burnet moths. You can discover more about this and related projects on the OHBR website. The survey guide has some identification hints, as the two species both have a bold black and red colouration that, whilst making them easy to separate from most other moths, can be quite confusing if all you get is a brief glimpse.