Zygaena filipendulae (Linnaeus, 1758)


Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2010) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, August 2010) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (NE of Kastoria, Greece, 1800m above sea level, July 2010) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (Olympus, Greece, 1000m above sea level, May 2010) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Mating (Schwäbisch Hall, June 2010): old female and fresh male. Zygaenas copulate contrary to many other Lepidoptera multiple during their life span of up to three weeks (but often much shorter). [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult [N] Zygaena filipendulae: 5-dotted adult (Spanish west Pyrenees, Aisa, July 2010). [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Mating (S-Germany 2008) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Mating [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Mating (Northern Greece, July 2011) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (französische Alpes-Maritimes, July 2011) [M] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (französische Alpes-Maritimes, July 2011) [S] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (französische Alpes-Maritimes, July 2011) [M] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (französische Alpes-Maritimes, July 2011) [M] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (east Spain, Tarragona, July 2013) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Mating (N-Greece, Vitsi N Kastoria, late June 2013) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Adult (e.l. Abruzzes, L'Aquila, larva in May 2013) [S] Zygaena filipendulae: Ovae [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Ovae [S] Zygaena filipendulae: Young larvae in winter dormancy (different instars, estern Swabian Alb) [S] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva with Tachinidae-ovum [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Half-grown larva [S] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva [M] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Gussenstadt, early July 2013) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Gussenstadt, early July 2013) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Gussenstadt, early July 2013) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Gussenstadt, early July 2013) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Gussenstadt, early July 2013) [S] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva (Abruzzes, L'Aquila, May 2013) [S] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva (Abruzzes, L'Aquila, May 2013) [S] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva with defensive secretion after mechanical disturbance [M] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Larva [S] Zygaena filipendulae: Creating cocoon, start [S] Zygaena filipendulae: Creating cocoon, advanced [S] Zygaena filipendulae: Cocoon [M] Zygaena filipendulae: Cocoon [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Cocoon [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Cocoon (eastern Swabian Alb, July 2013) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Cocoon with emerging hole of the parasitoid Brachymeria intermedia [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Habitat: extensively managed, flowery meadow (S-Germany) [N] Zygaena filipendulae: Habitat: limestone grassland on the eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, at local larval time in late June. Here also occur Zygaena loti, Z. carniolica, Z. minos and Z. purpuralis. [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillars consume Lotus corniculatus and L. uliginosus, in Southern Europe also Dorycnium pentaphyllum and other Dorycnium species.

Habitat:
Zygaena filipendulae inhabits diverse extensivelymanaged open and half open habitats from clearcuts and broad forest edges over fens and mesophilic extensive grassland to very xerothermic calcareous heathlands.

Life cycle:
Of particular interest is the phenology that is apparently adapted to the resource availability. On the eastern Swabian Alb (as usually in dry habitats) a late flight time prevails with maximum between July and early September, which is caused by caterpillars wintering at a small size, late activity restart in spring and slow development. In wetlands (and in the Bavarian foreland of the Alps) Zygaena filipendulae has, however, an earlier flight time with peak between mid-June and early August due to the earlier restart of the hibernated larvae which overwintered generally in larger instars. This data may also vary in some areas. The total flight time of the one generation (which may be composed of heterogeneous fractions stretching over several years of larval development) may be from May to October!

Endangerment factors:
In areas with abundant extensively managed grasslands and fens this still most widespread Burnet is unthreatened. On the other hand Zygaena filipendulae is in decline in many regions, and already almost disappeared from some especially intensely managed landscapes (intensification of former nutrient-poor grasslands, dense planting of trees, bush encroachment, fertilization and frequent mowing e.g. of road side verges). Due to general eutrophication butterfly-relevant Fabaceae such as Lotus, Hippocrepis and Coronilla decrease in most landscapes.

Remarks:
Zygaena filipendulae occurs from Spain (here rare and local) across most of Europe and Turkey to the Caspian Sea.



Zygaena alluaudi | Zygaena angelicae | Zygaena anthyllidis | Zygaena brizae | Zygaena carniolica | Zygaena contaminei | Zygaena corsica | Zygaena cynarae | Zygaena diaphana | Zygaena ephialtes | Zygaena erythrus | Zygaena exulans | Zygaena fausta | 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