[2] Wilhelm Neuburger named Romanian specimens as the synonym Atolmis flavicollis; these were less dark brown and with a light yellow instead of a red collar.

[3] The white eggs of the red-necked footman are laid in small groups in crevices in the branches of trees, especially those of old firs.

The caterpillars feed on lichens growing on the trunks and branches of trees,[2][4] and can be found between August and October.

They pupate before winter sets in and overwinter as glossy brownish red pupae, in a loose cocoon buried among moss and leaf litter.

It is found in parts of Ireland, and in the United Kingdom is present in the south-westerly counties of England and Wales.