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| Six-spot Burnet | ||||||||||||||
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| Zygaena filipendulae (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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. 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 flowers such as knapweed and scabious as well as the larval 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 pupates in a papery cocoon attached to foliage.
- ^ The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.
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
 Six-spot Burnet in East Lothian |
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 Caterpillar |
References
- Chinery, Michael. Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe 1986. (reprinted 1991).
- Skinner, Bernard.Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles 1984.
- Fauna Europaea
