Zygaenidae : Zygaeninae
Six-spot Burnet
ZYGAENA ( Zygaena) filipendulae (Linnaeus, 1758)
Six-spot Burnet
ZYGAENA ( Zygaena) filipendulae (Linnaeus, 1758)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 25-40mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : (Not Portugal and Western Spain) : North to Scandinavia : Turkey : Caucasus : Syria : Northern Iran.
UK Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland : In South-west England and Northern regions moth prefers coastal habitat.
UK Conservation Status -
Habitat: Grassland with available nectar plants : Commons and Downland : Roadside Verges : Woodland Rides : Sand Dunes and other coastal habitat.
Similar Species:-
Identification of the different Burnet Moth larvae is at best difficult to tell apart,the larval food plant being a possible help,and the ground colour of this larva would appear to be more vibrant.
Pupa: Pupates in a cocoon high on a grass stem
Overwinters as: Larva,sometimes twice.
Observations: The six-spot Burnet as the name suggests is the only burnet with six spots on the forewings, the basal spots being divided by a red vein. It is a brightly coloured moth giving warning to any predator that is it is fact poisonous.
The hind wings are coloured the same red as the spots and has a bluish/black thin border around the edges.(See photo 1)
The normal red spots are sometimes replaced by yellow in Z.filipendulae f.flava Robson,1883
Day flying moth that is seen visiting its favourite nectar plants such as thistles, knapweeds and field scabious.
It is by far the most common of the Burnet moths seen throughout a variety of habitat types although coastal area seem to be the most common habitat the further north or west that one travels in Britain.
Overwinters as a larva-September-May,sometimes twice.
Pupates in a cocoon,fully exposed, high on a grass stem or other plant, where the empty cocoon is a common site during the main flight season. See photo 3)
Worldwide Distribution: Europe : (Not Portugal and Western Spain) : North to Scandinavia : Turkey : Caucasus : Syria : Northern Iran.
UK Distribution: Widespread throughout Britain and Ireland : In South-west England and Northern regions moth prefers coastal habitat.
UK Conservation Status -
- Common = >300 10Km Squares
- Least Concern
- Zygaena filipendulae Linnaeus, 1758
- Sphinx filipendulae Linnaeus, 1758
- Not Specified
Habitat: Grassland with available nectar plants : Commons and Downland : Roadside Verges : Woodland Rides : Sand Dunes and other coastal habitat.
Similar Species:-
- Slender Scotch Burnet Zygaena loti ([Dennis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
Identification of the different Burnet Moth larvae is at best difficult to tell apart,the larval food plant being a possible help,and the ground colour of this larva would appear to be more vibrant.
Pupa: Pupates in a cocoon high on a grass stem
Overwinters as: Larva,sometimes twice.
Observations: The six-spot Burnet as the name suggests is the only burnet with six spots on the forewings, the basal spots being divided by a red vein. It is a brightly coloured moth giving warning to any predator that is it is fact poisonous.
The hind wings are coloured the same red as the spots and has a bluish/black thin border around the edges.(See photo 1)
The normal red spots are sometimes replaced by yellow in Z.filipendulae f.flava Robson,1883
Day flying moth that is seen visiting its favourite nectar plants such as thistles, knapweeds and field scabious.
It is by far the most common of the Burnet moths seen throughout a variety of habitat types although coastal area seem to be the most common habitat the further north or west that one travels in Britain.
Overwinters as a larva-September-May,sometimes twice.
Pupates in a cocoon,fully exposed, high on a grass stem or other plant, where the empty cocoon is a common site during the main flight season. See photo 3)
Subspecies
Z. f. stephensi Dupont, 1900-British Isles - note - nominate subspecies does not occur in Great Britain
Z. f. stephensi Dupont, 1900-British Isles - note - nominate subspecies does not occur in Great Britain
Larvae
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website
where further information like photos,physical
characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal
uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
- Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Fabaceae - Leguminosea - The Pulse - Bean - Pea - Legume Family
- Hippocrepis comosa - Horseshoe Vetch
- Lotus corniculatus - Bird's-foot Trefoil
- Lotus uliginosus - Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum: Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily: Tribe: Genus: Subgenus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - ZYGAENA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Nominotypical Subspecies: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Subspecies: Forms/Aberrations: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Zygaenoidea Zygaenidae Zygaeninae Zygaenini ZYGAENA Fabricius, 1775 Zygaena Fabricius, 1775 Zygaena ( Zygaena ) filipendulae (Linnaeus, 1758) - Sphinx filipendulae Linnaeus,1758 - SPHINX filipendulae Linnaeus, 1758 = Adscita aries Retzius, 1783 = Sphinx chrysanthemi Borkhausen, 1789 = Sphinx lavandulae Hübner, 1790 = Sphinx stoechadis Borkhausen, 1793 = Sphinx polygalae Esper, 1783 = Shinx filipendulae major Esper, 1794 = Sphinx medicaginis Hübner, 1796 = Sphinx cytisi Hübner, 1796 = Zygaena charon Boisduval, 1834 = Zygaena ochsenheimeri Zeller, 1847 = Zygaena ramburii Herrich-Schäffer, 1861 = Zygaena mersina Herrich-Schäffer, 1861 = Zygaena gurda Lederer, 1861 = Zygaena syriaca Oberthür, 1896 = Zygaena rosa Oberthür, 1909 = Zygaena (Zygaena) filipendulae - Sphinx filipendulae filipendulae Linnaeus, 1758 - Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.494 - n.32 - Not Specified - Z.f.stephensi Dupont, 1900-British Isles Z.f.polygalae Esper, 1783-Germany : N E France to Hungary & Ukraine Z.f.mannii Herrich-Schaffer, 1852-Alps-Switzerland,Austria,Italy Z.f.limmenica Reiss, 1942-North sea coast-Netherlands Z.f.pulcherrima Verity, 1921-Western France Z.f.altapyrenaica Le Charles, 1950-central French Pyrenees Z.f.pyrenes Verity, 1921-Eastern side of Pyrenees (France & Spain) Z.f.major Esper, 1794-Provence & Roussillon Z.f.oberthueriana Burgeff, 1926-C & S Alps Z.f.willaumei Dujardin, 1965-Var Z.f.dupontcheli Verity, 1921-Nice & W Liguria Z.f.gigantea Rocci-Liguria to Tuscany Z.f.stoechadis Borkhausen, 1793-Piedmont & S Austria Z.f.campaniae Rebel, 1901-Marche region & Campania to Apulia-Italy Z.f.zarana Burgeff, 1926-N E Italy Z.f.pulcherrimastoechadis Verity, 1921-Emilia-Romagna & Tuscany Z.f.sisiliensis Verity, 1917-Calabria & Sicily Z.f.gemina Burgeff, 1914-C & S Spain Z.f.seeboldi Oberthür, 1910-Cantabrian mountains Z.f.gemella Marten, 1956-Spanish side of Pyrenees Z.f.himmighofeni Burgeff, 1926-Catalonia Z.f.balcanirosea Holik, 1943-Balkans Z.f.praeochsenheimeri Verity, 1903-Balkans Z.f.noacki Reiss, 1962-Balkans Z.f.ciscaucasica Sheljuzhko, 1936-Russia : Georgia Z.f.tirabzonica Koch, 1942-N Turkey Z.f.hadjina Rebel, 1901-Taurus mountains Z.f.anodolitia Reiss, 1929-Anatolia Z.f.ramburii Herrich-Schaffer, 1861-Turkey Z.f.arctica Schneider 1880 Z.f.filipendulae Linnaeus 1758 - Nominate Subspecies - does not occur in Great Britain Z.f.liguris Rocci 1925 Z.f.praeochsenheimeri Verity 1939 - Z.f.flava Robson, 1883-Red replaced by Yellow Z.f.aurantia Tutt, 1899-Orange hue Z.f.intermedia Tutt, 1899-Orangey Red Z.f.chryanthemi Borkhausen, 1789-Dark sooty brown Z.f.cytisi Hübner, 1796-Spots joined up in pairs Z.f.confluens Oberthür, 1896-Joined by fine link Z.f.polygalae Esper, 1783-Spots fused together in red patch Z.f.spoliata Cockayne, 1954-Spot 4 may be missing Z.f.quinquemaculata Vorbrodt, 1913-Five spots on forewing in colonies with six Z.f.costimaculata Rocci, 1914-Forewing costa suffused with red Z.f.nigrolimbata Cockayne, 1954-Hindwing margin suffused black Z.f.griescens Oberthür, 1896-Background purplish grey,red replaced by pink |