Zygaena rhadamanthus (Esper, 1789)


Zygaena rhadamanthus: Adult (e.l. Ste. Baume) [S] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Adult (e.l. Ste. Baume) [S] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Adult (e.l. Ste. Baume) [S] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Adult (Aisa, Spanish west Pyrenees, July 2010) [N] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Mating (Sisteron, July 2010) [N] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Adult (e.l. Provence) [S] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Adult [S] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Adult [S] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Larva [S] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Larva (Provence) [M] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Larva (Sainte Baume, early April 2010) [N] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Larva (Sainte Baume, early April 2010) [N] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Cocoon [S] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Larval habitat, Provence, France, early April 2010 [N] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Habitat in the Provence, France, April 2010 [N] Zygaena rhadamanthus: Habitat in the Spanish west Pyrenees (Aisa, July 2010) [N]

Host plants:
Onobrychis, Dorycnium pentaphyllum and possibly Lotus.

Habitat:
Zygaena rhadamanthus inhabits dry grasslands, bright scrub, garrigues, forest clearings, mountain meadows, coastal areas and similar open to semi open, dry habitats.

Life cycle:
I found the adults from the beginning to the end of May at about 500m above sea level in the Provence (widespread and locally abundant). At the same time I observed larvae at about 1500m above sea level in the southern Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in sainfoin, so that in higher altitudes the flight time should be more likely in June and July. Hibernation takes place as a caterpillar, but probably without a real dormancy. The caterpillar is fully-grown at low altitudes in March/early April. In early April 2010, I found many larvae in the Massif de la Sainte Baume on Dorycnium pentaphyllum.

Endangerment factors:
Zygaena rhadamanthus is probably still not endangered.

Remarks:
The distribution is Atlanto-Mediterranean: from the Iberian Peninsula (except the northwest) across Southern France to western Italy (Liguria).



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 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 romeo | Zygaena rubicundus | Zygaena sarpedon | Zygaena sedi | Zygaena transalpina | Zygaena trifolii | Zygaena viciae