Six-spot Burnet

Taxobox
name = Six-spot Burnet

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image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
familia = Zygaenidae
genus = "Zygaena"
species = "Z. filipendulae"
binomial = "Zygaena filipendulae"
binomial_authority = (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Six-spot Burnet "(Zygaena filipendulae)" is a day-flying moth of the family Zygaenidae. It is a common species throughout Europe.

The sexes are similar and have a wingspan of 30-40 mm. The forewings are dark metallic green with 6 vivid red spots (sometimes the spots are merged causing possible confusion with other species such as Five-spot Burnet). Occasionally the spots are yellow or even black. The hindwings are red with a blackish fringe. The adults fly on hot, sunny days from June to August ref|flight_season and are attracted to a wide variety of flowers such as knapweed and scabious as well as the larval food plants bird's foot trefoil and clover. The species overwinters as a larva.

The larva is plump and hairy with variable markings, usually pale green with rows of black spots. It pupates in a papery cocoon attached to foliage.

#Note|flight_season"The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range."

Subspecies

*"Z. f. altapyrenaica"
*"Z. f. arctica"
*"Z. f. balcanirosea"
*"Z. f. campaniae"
*"Z. f. duponcheli"
*"Z. f. filipendulae"
*"Z. f. gemella"
*"Z. f. gemina"
*"Z. f. gigantea"
*"Z. f. himmighofeni"
*"Z. f. liguris"
*"Z. f. maior"
*"Z. f. mannii"
*"Z. f. noacki"
*"Z. f. oberthueriana"
*"Z. f. polygalae"
*"Z. f. praeochsenheimeri"
*"Z. f. pulcherrima"
*"Z. f. pulcherrimastoechadis"
*"Z. f. pyrenes"
*"Z. f. seeboldi"
*"Z. f. siciliensis"
*"Z. f. stephensi"
*"Z. f. stoechadis"
*"Z. f. zarana"

References

*Chinery, Michael. "Collins Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe" 1986. (reprinted 1991).
*Skinner, Bernard."Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles" 1984.
* [http://www.faunaeur.org Fauna Europaea]