Six-spot burnet

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Six-spot burnet moth
Adult of Zygaena filipendulae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Zygaenidae
Genus: Zygaena
Species:
Z. filipendulae
Binomial name
Zygaena filipendulae
Synonyms
  • Sphinx filipendulae Linnaeus, 1758
  • Sphinx maior Esper, 1794
  • Sphinx polygalae Esper, 1783
  • Sphinx stoechadis Borkhausen, 1793
Top view

The six-spot burnet (Zygaena filipendulae) is a day-flying moth of the family Zygaenidae.

Subspecies

Side view
Mating
Zygaena filipendulae
Belarusian postage stamp showing a butterfly on a flower
2016 Belarus stamp featuring Zygaena filipendulae
  • Z. f. altapyrenaica Le Charles, 1950
  • Z. f. arctica Schneider, 1880
  • Z. f. balcanirosea Holik, 1943
  • Z. f. campaniae Rebel, 1901
  • Z. f. duponcheli Verity, 1921
  • Z. f. filipendulae
  • Z. f. gemella Marten, 1956
  • Z. f. gemina Burgeff, 1914
  • Z. f. gigantea Rocci, 1913
  • Z. f. himmighofeni Burgeff, 1926
  • Z. f. liguris Rocci, 1925
  • Z. f. maior Esper, 1794
  • Z. f. mannii Herrich-Schaffer, 1852
  • Z. f. noacki Reiss, 1962
  • Z. f. oberthueriana Burgeff, 1926
  • Z. f. polygalae (Esper, 1783)
  • Z. f. praeochsenheimeri Verity, 1939
  • Z. f. pulcherrima Verity, 1921
  • Z. f. pulcherrimastoechadis Verity, 1921
  • Z. f. pyrenes Verity, 1921
  • Z. f. seeboldi Oberthur, 1910
  • Z. f. siciliensis Verity, 1917
  • Z. f. stephensi Dupont, 1900
  • Z. f. stoechadis (Borkhausen, 1793)
  • Z. f. zarana Burgeff, 1926

Distribution

Zygaena filipendulae is a common species throughout Europe, except the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, northern Scandinavia and the Great Russian North. It is also present in Asia, from Anatolia through the Caucasus to Syria and Lebanon.[1]

Habitat

This species can be found in meadows, woodland clearings, sea-cliffs and area rich in grasses and flowers, up to 2,000 m altitude.[2]

Description

Zygaena filipendulae has a

five-spot burnet
. Occasionally, the spots are yellow or even black. The hind wings are red with a blackish fringe. The larva is plump and hairy with variable markings, usually pale green with rows of black spots.

It is an aposematic moth because it is distinguished by its colors as toxic to predators like birds and lizards. If attacked it emits a liquid containing cyanide.

Biology

The adults fly on hot, sunny days from June to August,[Note 1] and are attracted to a wide variety of flowers such as knapweed and scabious, as well as the larval food plants bird's foot trefoil, Coronilla and clover.[3]

The species overwinters as a larva. The larva

cocoon attached to a grass stem.[4]

Lifecycle

  • Eggs
    Eggs
  • Caterpillar
    Caterpillar
  • Cocoon
    Cocoon
  • Pupa (cocoon removed)
    Pupa (cocoon removed)
  • Adult
    Adult

Bibliography

Notes

  1. ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.

References

External links