Zygaena lavandulae (Esper, 1783)

Host plants:
The larva primarily feeds on Dorycnium pentaphyllum, but also Anthyllis species building dwarf shrubs (e.g. Spain, Cabo de Gata: Anthyllis cytisoides).

Habitat:
Zygaena lavandulae inhabits light, dry woods, grove rich grasslands, roadsides through forests, rocky places, garrigues and similar places.

Life cycle:
The adults appear in a single generation from April (in Spain from March) to June, in the south of France mostly in May. The caterpillar seems to develop until April without real dormancy, similar to Zygaena rhadamanthus.

Endangerment factors:
Zygaena lavandulae is potentially endangered through intensive use of habitats (expansion of agriculture into formerly fallow land).

Remarks:
The moths show a strong, often darting flight that departs from the often simultaneously encountered Zygaena rhadamanthus significantly.

Zygaena lavandulae is distributed from Northwest Africa across eastern Spain and southern France to Liguria.