Zygaena lavandulae explained

Zygaena lavandulae is a species of moth in the family Zygaenidae.

Subspecies

Subspecies include:[1] [2]

Distribution

This species can be found in Southern France, eastern Spain, Portugal and Italy (only in central and western Liguria),[3] as well as North Africa, including Morocco.[4]

Description

Zygaena lavandulae has a wingspan of 31- in males and of 35- in females. The head is black. The thorax is black with a white collar. Also the abdomen is black, with a slight blue gloss. Forewings are bluish, with five red spots surrounded with black or dark blue. Hindwings are bluish-black with a very large distal red spot. Colorations of the females are rather similar to males, but their forewings are usually bluish-green, with larger spots.[5]

Habitat

These moths mainly inhabit rocky places, dry woods and grove rich grasslands.[6] They are present in the Maquis shrubland, characterized by the widespread presence of Cistus species.

Biology

There is one generation per year (univoltine). The larvae feed on Dorycnium pentaphyllum[6] and Anthyllis cytisoides.[7] They develop until April without real dormancy.[6] Adults are on wing from April to June.[6]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Zygaena_Lavandulae Lepiforum.de
  2. https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id48372/ Biolib
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20140502032046/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=440462 Fauna Europaea
  4. http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/zygaenoidea/zygaenidae/zygaeninae/zygaena/index.html Zygaena at funet
  5. Tutt, James William Notes on Zygaena species The entomologist's record and journal of variation – Vol. 72 (1960), pg 5
  6. http://www.pyrgus.de/Zygaena_lavandulae_en.html Lepidoptera and their ecology at Schmetterlinge und ihre Ökologie
  7. Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfili Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa