Zygaena erythrus (Hübner, 1806)


Zygaena erythrus: Male, S-France, Sisteron, July 2010) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Adult (Sisteron, July 2010) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Female (Sisteron, July 2010) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Mating (Sisteron, July 2010) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Mating (Sisteron, July 2010) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Mating (Sisteron, July 2010) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Mating (Sisteron, July 2010) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Male [S] Zygaena erythrus: Female [S] Zygaena erythrus: Half-grown larva (Sisteron, Hautes Alpes, 2010) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Half-grown larva (Sisteron, Hautes Alpes, 2010) [S] Zygaena erythrus: Larva in penultimate instar (Sisteron, Hautes Alpes, 2010) [S] Zygaena erythrus: Larva (Valle di Susa, Italy) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Larva (Abruzzes, L'Aquila, May 2013) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Larva (Abruzzes, L'Aquila, May 2013) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Larva (Abruzzes, L'Aquila, May 2013) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Larva after the last moult  (e.l. Sisteron, Hautes Alpes, 2010) [S] Zygaena erythrus: Larva  (e.l. Sisteron, Hautes Alpes, 2010) [S] Zygaena erythrus: Larva (Sisteron, Hautes Alpes, 2010) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Larva (fully-grown, Italy, Valle di Susa) [N] Zygaena erythrus: Cocoon (discovered at the ground under a bush of Dorycnium pentaphyllum, Sisteron, July 2010) [M] Zygaena erythrus: Larva at sprouting Eryngium campestre, Sisteron, mid April 2010 [N] Zygaena erythrus: Habitat north of Sisteron, where also Zygaena sarpedon, Z. hilaris, Z. carniolica and others occur, July 2010 [N] Zygaena erythrus: Habitat, where also Z. hilaris and Z. sarpedon fly (also purpuralis, lonicerae, chloros, infausta) [N]

Host plants:
Eryngium campestre (Apiaceae)

Habitat:
Zygaena erythrus inhabits dry, nutrient-poor grasslands, steppes and broad verges in light oak forests.

Life cycle:
I observed the mature caterpillar in May in the Susa Valley (Cottian Alps) in Stipa-steppe grasslands at 500m above sea level as well as in Bromus erectus grasslands in 1100m above sea level. In the high-Provence near Sisteron caterpillars had just moulted out of diapause in mid-April 2010. The cocoons are constructed on the ground in the litter layer between moss, lichens and plant parts. I found such a cocoon in July 2010 along with larvae of Eurranthis plummistaria under a low growing shrub of Dorycnium pentaphyllum.

The adults fly from late June to early or mid-August. Zygaena erythrus locally shares the habitat with Zygaena sarpedon in the small common area of distribution, so in the Provence and in Susa Valley.

Endangerment factors:
Zygaena erythrus is endangered in many places due to agricultural intensification, overbuilding and reforestation, but is often still one of the more common species in its range.

Remarks:
Zygaena erythrus is as Adriato-Mediterranean species particularly distributed in Italy (in the north only extremely local: Garda and Susa). It also penetrates far into the south of France (Provence, Southwest Alps).



Zygaena alluaudi | Zygaena angelicae | Zygaena anthyllidis | Zygaena brizae | Zygaena carniolica | Zygaena contaminei | Zygaena corsica | Zygaena cynarae | Zygaena diaphana | Zygaena ephialtes | Zygaena exulans | Zygaena fausta | Zygaena filipendulae | Zygaena hilaris | Zygaena ignifera | Zygaena johannae | Zygaena laeta | Zygaena lavandulae | Zygaena lonicerae | Zygaena loti | Zygaena minos | Zygaena nevadensis | Zygaena occitanica | Zygaena orana | Zygaena osterodensis | Zygaena oxytropis | Zygaena punctum | Zygaena purpuralis | Zygaena rhadamanthus | Zygaena romeo | Zygaena rubicundus | Zygaena sarpedon | Zygaena sedi | Zygaena transalpina | Zygaena trifolii | Zygaena viciae