Reissita
Encyclopedia
Reissita simonyi, the Arabian Burnet Moth, is a species of diurnal moth of the Zygaenidae
family. It is the only species from the genus Reissita, and native to the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula
. It resembles some species from the related genus Zygaena
, and like them Reissita simonyi is toxic because it is able to biosynthesize
hydrogen cyanide. The larvae feed on Maytenus
, specifically M. dhofarensis
and M. senegalensis.
It has two subspecies
:
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 the only species from the genus Reissita, and native to the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
. It resembles some species from the related genus Zygaena
Zygaena
Zygaena may refer to:* Zygaena , a genus of moths of the family Zygaenidae, commonly referred to as "burnets"* Sphyrna zygaena, the smooth hammerhead, a species of hammerhead shark...
, and like them Reissita simonyi is toxic because it is able to biosynthesize
Biosynthesis
Biosynthesis is an enzyme-catalyzed process in cells of living organisms by which substrates are converted to more complex products. The biosynthesis process often consists of several enzymatic steps in which the product of one step is used as substrate in the following step...
hydrogen cyanide. The larvae feed on Maytenus
Maytenus
Maytenus is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae. Members of the genus are distributed throughout Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Micronesia and Australasia, the Indian Ocean and Africa...
, specifically M. dhofarensis
Maytenus dhofarensis
Maytenus dhofarensis is a species of plant in the Celastraceae family. It is found in Oman and Yemen. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Ghazanfar, S.A. 1998. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
and M. senegalensis.
It has two subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
:
- R. s. simonyi at altitudes of 400–2900 m (1,312.3–9,514.4 ft) in OmanOmanOman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
and eastern YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. Blackish with a bluish sheen and red spots. - R. s. yemenicola at altitudes of 350–900 m (1,148.3–2,952.8 ft) in western Yemen and southwestern Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. Smaller than previous, and blackish with a greenish-blue sheen and red spots, or all red (some males only).