| Narrow-bordered five-spot burnet | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Zygaenidae |
| Genus: | Zygaena |
| Species: | Z. lonicerae |
| Binomial name | |
| Zygaena lonicerae (Scheven, 1777) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Zygaena lonicerae, the narrow-bordered five-spot burnet, is a moth of the family Zygaenidae. The species was first described by Theodor Gottlieb von Scheven in 1777.
This species can be found in most of Europe, from Ireland to Fennoscandia, up to west of China. In the southern Europe the species is widespread from northern and central Spain to Turkey and the Caucasus.
In western Europe it prefers dry to mesophilic habitats in coastal areas, sea-cliffs, open forests, grassland, chalk downland and subalpine valleys, at an elevation up to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level.
Zygaena lonicerae have a wingspan of 30–46 millimetres (1.2–1.8 in). The forewings reach a length of 16–19 millimetres (0.63–0.75 in) in the females, while they are slightly smaller in males. The forewings usually show five crimson to vermilion spots and a black basic colour, with a strong bluish or blue-green reflection. The third spot is smaller than the fourth one. Head, thorax and abdomen are black and moderately to strongly hairy. The antennae are long and slender and slightly clavate (club shaped) and tapered. The females are similar to males, but the top of the front wing is slightly rounded and the abdomen and the thorax are less hairy. However this species is very variable. Usually the moth populations in alpine areas are much larger, while those from southern Europe are darker.
The moth flies during daytime from June to early August depending on the location. They suck nectar of the preferred blue violet flowers, such as on field scabious ( Knautia arvensis ), dove pincushion flower ( Scabiosa columbaria ), meadow knapweed ( Centaurea jacea ), panicle knapweed ( Centaurea stoebe ), creeping thistle ( Cirsium arvense ), bulbous thistle ( Cirsium tuberosum ) and ring thistle ( Carduus ).
The females lay eggs in July on the underside of leaves of the host plants or on plants that grow close to them. The eggs are pale yellow. The caterpillars reach a length of 19 to 28 millimetres. They are bluish green or pale yellow, with long pale hairs and a few rows of almost rectangular black spots.
The larvae feed on various low-growing plants, including Trifolium ( Trifolium medium , Trifolium montanum , Trifolium pratense , Trifolium repens ) and Lathyrus species ( Lathyrus pratensis , Lathyrus linifolius , Lathyrus sativus ), as well as Vicia , Lotus corniculatus , Lotus uliginosus , Onobrychis viciifolia . Larvae and pupae are occasionally parasitized by Tachinidae species ( Phryxe magnicornis ) and by some species of wasps.
The larvae eat until late summer and early winter, and continue to develop in the following year. At the end of May the caterpillars are fully grown. The not fully grown caterpillars overwinter a second time. The caterpillars pupate in an elongated or spindle-shaped yellowish or white cocoon on grasses and other plants. The colour of pupa varies from brown to black.
The Zygaenidae moths are a family of Lepidoptera. The majority of zygaenids are tropical, but they are nevertheless quite well represented in temperate regions. Some of the 1000 or so species are commonly known as burnet or forester moths, often qualified by the number of spots, although other families also have 'foresters'. They are also sometimes called smoky moths.
The six-spot burnet is a day-flying moth of the family Zygaenidae.
Colias croceus, clouded yellow, is a small butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites.
Zygaena transalpina is a moth of the family Zygaenidae.
Zygaena is a genus of moths in the family Zygaenidae. These brightly coloured, day-flying moths are native to the West Palearctic.
Zygaena carniolica, sometimes described as the crepuscular burnet or eastern burnet, is a member of the family Zygaenidae.
Zygaena ephialtes is day-flying species of burnet moth found in Europe. It is typically found in xeric habitats, and populations have recently decreased. It also exhibits Müllerian mimicry with other species, like Amata phegea.
Zygaena fausta is a member of the family Zygaenidae, the day-flying burnet moths. Its bright aposematic colours of red, white and black on the wings indicate to possible predators such as birds that it is foul tasting or poisonous. In flight, the bright red abdomen is revealed, contrasting with the white legs and black head and antennae; the thorax is black and white with an eye spot on each side. There appears to be a considerable variation in pattern among specimens from different parts of Europe.
Zygaena loti, the slender Scotch burnet, is a moth of the family Zygaenidae. It is a diurnal moth characterized by a black body, light colored legs, and red spots on its wings. The caterpillars are a yellow-green color and usually molt out of dormancy in late February to early March. The larvae feed on plants from the family Fabaceae until they enter their pupal stage and mature into adults in May to early June. For mating, Zygaenidae exhibit a dual-partner finding strategy, where females use pheromones while assuming a calling position, and males exhibit a patrolling behavior where they utilize both vision and the olfactory receptors in their antennae to locate a potential mate.
Zygaena trifolii, the five-spot burnet, is a moth in the family Zygaenidae. It is found from North Africa, through the western Mediterranean, Great Britain and central Europe to Ukraine. It is not found in Scandinavia.
Zygaena viciae, the New Forest burnet moth, is a member of the Zygaenidae family, found in the northern hemisphere. Since 1927 it has been extinct in the New Forest, England, after which it is named. It is also known in Europe as the small five-spotted ram.
Zygaena exulans, the mountain burnet or Scotch burnet, is a moth of the family Zygaenidae.
Zygaena purpuralis, the transparent burnet, is a moth of the family Zygaenidae.
Jordanita globulariae, also known as the scarce forester, is a day-flying moth of the family Zygaenidae.
Jordanita graeca is a moth of the family Zygaenidae. It is found from southern Slovakia through Hungary, the Balkan Peninsula, Rhodes and Cyprus to southern Russia, Ukraine, Transcaucasia, Turkey, Iran and northern Iraq.
Zygaena sarpedon is a moth of the Zygaenidae family. It is found in France, Italy and on the Iberian Peninsula.
Zygaena hilaris is a species of moth in the family Zygaenidae.
Zygaena cynarae is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family. It is found from France east to Russia.
Zygaena lavandulae is a species of moth in the family Zygaenidae.
Zygaena rhadamanthus is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family. It is found in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy.
