Technical description and variation (Seitz)
''Z. sarpedon''. This species is the first of a group of red-banded Burnets from the Mediterranean coasts which have only 3 red spots on the forewing: the anterior and the posterior wedge-spots and a small, rounded, drop-like spot corresponding to the distal portion of the central streak. — In the name-typical form, the small ''sarpedon'' Hbn., the colour is pale, but distinctly red; hindwing with a vitreous streak from the base to the middle. Spain; South France. — ''trimaculata'' Esp. is a little larger; the wings are entirely limpid, the red spots of the forewing being only feebly marked, while the hindwing is almost entirely transparent; Balearic Is., perhaps occasionally also among the previous. — ''balearica'' Boisd. (= ''sarpedon'' H. Sch.) is considerably larger and more densely scaled than the 2 previous; hindwing beautifully red, narrowly edged with black. Spain, South France, and Piemont. — ''vernetensis'' Oberth. junior synonym of sarpedon ssp. ''carmencita'' Oberthür, 1910 from the Pyrenees, has the forewing as in ''balearica'', but the hindwing is black, with two red streaks, one each in and below cell. — Besides these (partly) geographical forms two aberrations have received names, the light yellow one: ab. ''flava'' Oberth., and the one with confluent spots: ab. ''confluens'' Dziurz. — Larva much variegated, green, with brown subdorsal and lateral lines, a subdorsal row of black dots, black stigmata, and black head edged with reddish; till June on ''Eryngium''. Pupa in a brown cocoon. Imago flying in July and August on stubble and sunny fallow fields. The wingspan is 24–28 mm.Biology
Adults are on wing from May to August depending on the location. There is one generation per year. The larvae feed on ''Subspecies
*''Zygaena sarpedon sarpedon'' *''Zygaena sarpedon algecirensis'' Reiss, 1927 *''Zygaena sarpedon balearica'' Boisduval,References
Moths described in 1790 Zygaena Moths of Europe {{Zygaenidae-stub