| Transparent burnet | |
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| Dorsal view | |
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| Ventral view | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Zygaenidae |
| Genus: | Zygaena |
| Species: | Z. purpuralis |
| Binomial name | |
| Zygaena purpuralis (Brünnich, 1763) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Zygaena purpuralis, the transparent burnet, is a moth of the family Zygaenidae.
Zygaena purpuralis is a medium-sized moth with a wingspan reaching 30–34 millimetres (1.2–1.3 in). Usually the forewings show three bright red longitudinal streaks quite variable in shape, with almost transparent greyish-bluish edges. Hindwings are more extensively or almost completely bright red. Head and thorax are black, while the abdomen is dark blue. Larvae are yellow, with some lines of small black spots.
Z. purpuralis Brunnich (= pilosellae Esp.; minos Fuessl.). In this species the hindmargin of the forewing (base included) is all black, while the red wedge-spots situated before it may be shaped entirely as in erythrus Hbn. An aberration with light yellow instead of red markings, already recorded by Ochsenheimer, has more lately been named by Ruhl ab. grossmanni (= lutescens Tutt). It is said to have been observed as a constant or at least prevalent form in certain very limited localities. In ab. obscura Tutt the entire wings, inclusive of the red colour, is darkened. — sareptensis Stgr.-Reb. [ now Zygaena minos ssp. sareptensis Rebel, 1901 ] is a large, somewhat paler, lighter red form from South Russia. — diaphana Stgr.[now Zygaena minos ssp. diaphana Staudinger, 1887 ], from Tauria, has thinly scaled, strongly transparent wings, the central wedge-spot being distally strongly widened. — nubigena Led. [ subspecies ] is also a very thinly scaled form from the high mountains of Europe and Asia, having moreover (like many mountain-forms) a very shaggy body, like Zygaena exulans , with which it occurs occasionally together. — In the rather large form smirnovi Christ.[ now Zygaena minos ssp. smirnovi Christoph, 1884 ], from Turkestan, the distal wedge-spot is constricted before its dilated apex. — pluto O. (= pythia Hbn.) [synonym of Z.purpuralis] has a black apex to the hindwing and the central streak of forewing is entirely of even width, not in the least being dilated distally; in South Europe, as far north as Austria. — In polygalae Esp. [now Zygaena filipendulae ssp. polygalae Esper, 1783 ] the black interspaces between the red streaks have entirely disappeared the red being so extended (especially in females) that the forewing is only edged with black, differing from Zygaena rubicundus in the hindmargin of forewing being black (though sometimes only narrowly); in the South, especially Northern Italy. — In heringi Zell.[ synonym of purpuralis ], from North Germany, the antenna is thinner and the central wedge-spot of the somewhat broader forewing extends to near the distal edge. — In ab. interrupta Stgr. [synonym for Zygaena minos ssp. pimpinellae ] the central streak is broadly interrupted and the posterior one often constricted in middle; more in the North of the area, among the name-typical form. — If all three streaks are interrupted, the red is separated into 6 spots, recalling the pattern of other Zygaenas; this form is ab. sexmaculata Burgeff. — Finally, there occur also specimens which have a red abdominal belt: ab. cingulata Burgeff — Larva bluish white or light yellow; a subdorsal row of heavy black dots; head, pectoral legs and stigmata black. [1]
Adult moths are on wing from late May until August, depending on location. They fly during the day, especially with warm and sunny weather, feeding on nectar of various flowers. The larvae feed on wild thyme ( Thymus polytrichus , Thymus serpyllum , etc.). They occur from August to May and overwinter once or twice.
This species can be is found in most of western, central and southern Europe, from Ireland to France through to Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Russia and across the Palearctic to the Altai Mountains.
Zygaena purpuralis prefers sunny and grassy slopes, under cliffs and dry grassland.
There are several distinct sub-species:
The six-spot burnet is a day-flying moth of the family Zygaenidae.
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 fraxini is a moth of the family Zygaenidae.It is a Palearctic confined to Western Asia.
Zygaena occitanica, the Provence burnet, is a moth of the Zygaenidae family. It is found from the Algarve and southern Spain up to the eastern parts of the Cantabrian Mountains then to southern Russia and the Caucasus and east to the western fringe of Central Asia.
Zygaena sarpedon is a moth of the Zygaenidae family. It is found in France, Italy and on the Iberian Peninsula.
Zygaena brizae is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family. It is found in France, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, the Balkan Peninsula, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and Georgia.
Zygaena cynarae is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family. It is found from France east to Russia.
Zygaena erythrus, common name sluggish burnet, is a species of moth in the family Zygaenidae.
Zygaena punctum is a species of moth in the family Zygaenidae. It is found in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, the Balkan Peninsula, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia and Turkey.
Zygaena anthyllidis is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family. It is found in France and Spain.
Zygaena rhadamanthus is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family. It is found in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Apamea epomidion, the clouded brindle, is a moth of the family Noctuidae, sub-family Hadeninae. The species was first described by Adrian Hardy Haworth in 1809. It is found throughout continental Europe, the British Isles, Sweden and Central Asia. It is also found in the Altai Mountains, west Siberia, and in Amur.
Zygaena magiana is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family. It is found in Central Asia.
Zygaena felix is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family. It is found in south Spain and the Atlas Mountains. In Seitz it is described. — In felix Oberth., from Algiers and South-West Spain, the black spots are more or less confluent, the red ground-colour along the distal margin being sometimes separated as a sock-like halfmoon. The white edges are usually altogether absent, or there are only feeble vestiges of them — In ab. faustula Stgr.-Reb.[ now Z. felix ssp. constantinensis Reiss & Tremewan, 1964] on the contrary the black spots are distinctly edged with yellowish white. — Lastly, ab.mauretanica Stgr. [now Z. felix ssp. constantinensis Reiss & Tremewan, 1964] (8a) has a red belt. — The 3 forms tly exactly at the same time and the same places; I found them frequently united in copula. They are extremely common throughout June on nearly all the heights of the Atlas Mts., sometimes the one sometimes the other form being prevalent in the various flight-places.
Zygaena favonia is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family. It is found in the Atlas Mountains, .In Seitz it is described Z. favonia Frr. (4g). This form belongs to a group of North African Burnets the pattern of the forewings of which reminds one much of the preceding species [ Zygaena sarpedon, while the abdomen is red from the middle nearly to the tip, which gives the insect a characteristic aspect and renders it easy to recognize even when it flies quickly past. The whole of Mauretania, everywhere common — ab. vitrina Stgr. (4g) [ now Z. favonia ssp. valentini Bruand, 1846], which I found only at very limited localities, for instance near Constantine and at the cemetery-wall near Batna, is easily differentiated by the transparent wings. -ab. staudingeri Aust. (4f) [ now Z favonia Freyer, 1844] is similar, but has only a narrow abdominal belt, so that one might mistake the for a small loyselis, if it did not lack the red collar of the latter. — The insect described by Bruand as valentini [ now Z. favonia ssp. valentini Bruand, 1846], in which the red spots are enlarged, may possibly belong to an analogous favonia-form. — The finest form of this group is thevestis Stgr. [now Z. favonia ssp. thevestis Staudinger, 1887 (4f), in which there is a large lobate subapical patch. — All these varieties occur all over Mauretania, on hills, in dry beds of rivulets, and on waste ground. The commonest form is favonia, which is found in June on nearly all the thistles growing at the road-sides and in the fields. The females have an extraordinarily thick body, and apparently scarcely take to the wing before copulation.
Zygaena lydia is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family. It is found in Kurdistan and Kherson Oblast.
Zygaena separata is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family. It is found in Southern Fergana ( Uzbekistan). Zygaena separata was described as ab. separata Stgr. of fraxini. It differs in that the distal spots are narrowly but distinctly separated from one another.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
Data related to Zygaena purpuralis at Wikispecies
Media related to Zygaena purpuralis at Wikimedia Commons| Authority control databases: National |
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