Zygaena minos

Burnet Burnet ( Zygaena minos )

The Burnet Burnet ( Zygaena minos ) is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of burnet ( Zygaenidae ).

• 3.1 Flight times and caterpillars
• 3.2 food of the caterpillars
• 3.3 Development

• 4.1 Synonyms

• 6.1 Notes and references
• 6.2 Literature

Features

The moths reach a wingspan of 28 to 35 millimeters. The forewings have three wide, longitudinal red stripes, of which the middle, who pointed to the wing tip is widened beilförmig at the end. The sensors have a thick and blunt lobe at the end. The females have a white ruff, the color of the ribbons can be changed from a bright red to a yellowish orange. The species can ( Zygaena purpuralis ) can be distinguished only by a genital examination of thyme burnet.

The 27 to 29 millimeters long caterpillars differ from those of thyme Widderchens ( Zygaena purpuralis ). They are white to light gray - bluish-colored instead of yellow, but carry the same rows of small black spots on the sides and large black spots on the back.

Similar Species

• Thyme Burnet ( Zygaena purpuralis )

Occurrence

They come in Southern and Central Europe north to southern Scandinavia and east of the Urals. They live on calcareous grasslands, sandy soils and other warm and sunny places where their food plants grow, but are more closely linked to warm locations as Z. purpuralis in general. Known localities in Austria include the Wachau or Pyburg at Enns on the border between Upper and Lower Austria.

Way of life

The moths are found in smaller groups on flowers. They prefer mainly purple flowers such as Marsh, ( Scabiosa ), Zieste ( Stachys ) and (Echium ), but also on the yellow flowers of herbs Greis ( Senecio ) to find. The caterpillars live near the ground and climb in the evening not to the food crops up.

Flight times and caterpillars

The animals fly from early June to early July and are thus to be found about two weeks earlier than the thyme burnet. When they fly, the Burnet Burnet are often already departed.

Food of the caterpillars

The caterpillars feed exclusively ( monophagous ) from the leaves of the lesser saxifrage (Pimpinella Saxifraga ).

Development

The females lay their whitish eggs in piles on the bottom of the food plants. The caterpillars are like the Z. purpuralis earlier than the other Widderchen verpuppungsbereit.

System

The two types Zygaena purpuralis and Zygaena minos is called because of their similarity as purpuralis complex. Both types can be unambiguously separated by examination of the genitalia, while a habitual distinction in the field is not possible. In addition, both types at many localities often occur at the same time.

Synonyms

Zygaena diaphana ssp. pimpinellae Guhn, Zygaena sareptensis ssp. pimpinellae Guhn, Zygaena sareptensis REBEL

Threats and conservation

• Red List BRD: 3 (endangered ).

Swell