Six-spot Burnet

Six-spot Burnet
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Zygaenidae
Genus:	Zygaena
Species:	Z. filipendulae
Binomial name
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 millimetres (1.2–1.6 in). 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.

Life cycle

Mating

Caterpillar

Coccoon

Imago

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

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