Six-spot Burnet
Encyclopedia
The Six-spot Burnet, Zygaena filipendulae, is a day-flying moth
of the family Zygaenidae
. It is a common species throughout Europe
.
The sexes are similar and have a wingspan
of 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 ). The forewings are dark metallic green with 6 vivid red spots (sometimes the spots are merged causing possible confusion with other species such as Five-spot Burnet). Occasionally the spots are yellow or even black. The hindwings are red with a blackish fringe. The adults fly on hot, sunny days from June to August, and are attracted to a wide variety of flower
s such as knapweed
and scabious
as well as the larva
l food plants bird's foot trefoil
and clover
. The species overwinters as a larva.
The larva is plump and hairy with variable markings, usually pale green with rows of black spots. It pupa
tes in a papery cocoon attached to foliage.
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 family 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,...
. It is a common species throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The sexes are similar and have a wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
of 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 ). The forewings are dark metallic green with 6 vivid red spots (sometimes the spots are merged causing possible confusion with other species such as Five-spot Burnet). Occasionally the spots are yellow or even black. The hindwings are red with a blackish fringe. The adults fly on hot, sunny days from June to August, and are attracted to a wide variety of flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s such as knapweed
Centaurea
Centaurea is a genus of between 350 and 600 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding regions are particularly species-rich...
and scabious
Scabiosa
Scabiosa is a genus in the teasel Family Dipsacaceae of flowering plants. Many of the species in this genus have common names that include the word scabious; however some plants commonly known as scabious are currently classified in related genera such as Knautia and Succisa; at least some of...
as well as the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
l food plants bird's foot trefoil
Lotus corniculatus
Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant native to grassland temperate Eurasia and North Africa. The common name is Bird's-foot Trefoil , though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus...
and clover
Clover
Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...
. The species overwinters as a larva.
The larva is plump and hairy with variable markings, usually pale green with rows of black spots. It pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
tes in a papery cocoon attached to foliage.
Subspecies
- Z. f. altapyrenaica
- Z. f. arctica
- Z. f. balcanirosea
- Z. f. campaniae
- Z. f. duponcheli
- Z. f. filipendulae
- Z. f. gemella
- Z. f. gemina
- Z. f. gigantea
- Z. f. himmighofeni
- Z. f. liguris
- Z. f. maior
- Z. f. mannii
- Z. f. noacki
- Z. f. oberthueriana
- Z. f. polygalae
- Z. f. praeochsenheimeri
- Z. f. pulcherrima
- Z. f. pulcherrimastoechadis
- Z. f. pyrenes
- Z. f. seeboldi
- Z. f. siciliensis
- Z. f. stephensi
- Z. f. stoechadis
- Z. f. zarana