Jordanita algirica
Encyclopedia
Jordanita algirica is a moth
of the Zygaenidae
family. It is found in Morocco
, Algeria
and Tunisia
. There are also some unconfirmed records from Sicily
.
The length of the forewings is 8.1-13 mm for males and 7.1-12 mm for females. Adults are on wing from April onwards on low altitudes and up to July in mountainous areas. They feed on the flower nectar of various Asteraceae
species.
In Morocco, J. algirica is a very variable species. Hence a number of subspecies have been described. Larger individuals are found in the northern regions of the Middle Atlas, while the smallest are found in the Anti Atlas and Tunisia. The variety is so big, that further study is needed to determine if these subspecies are valid.
The larvae feed on Carthamus calvus.
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
of the Zygaenidae
Zygaenidae
The Zygaenidae moths are a family of Lepidoptera. The majority of zygaenids are tropical, but they are nevertheless quite well represented in temperate regions. There are about 1000 species. Various species are commonly known as Burnet or Forester moths, often qualified by the number of spots,...
family. It is found in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. There are also some unconfirmed records from Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.
The length of the forewings is 8.1-13 mm for males and 7.1-12 mm for females. Adults are on wing from April onwards on low altitudes and up to July in mountainous areas. They feed on the flower nectar of various Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
species.
In Morocco, J. algirica is a very variable species. Hence a number of subspecies have been described. Larger individuals are found in the northern regions of the Middle Atlas, while the smallest are found in the Anti Atlas and Tunisia. The variety is so big, that further study is needed to determine if these subspecies are valid.
The larvae feed on Carthamus calvus.