Zygaena Transalpina

''Zygaena transalpina'' is a moth of the family Zygaenidae.

Subspecies

Subspecies include the following:

*''Zygaena transalpina transalpina''
*''Zygaena transalpina alpina'' Boisduval, 1834
*''Zygaena transalpina altitudinaria'' Turati, 1910
*''Zygaena transalpina annae'' Aistleitner, 1979
*''Zygaena transalpina astragali'' (Borkhausen, 1793)
*''Zygaena transalpina bavarica'' Burgeff, 1922
*''Zygaena transalpina centralis'' Oberthur, 1907
*''Zygaena transalpina centricataloniae'' Burgeff, 1926
*''Zygaena transalpina centripyrenaea'' Burgeff, 1926
*''Zygaena transalpina collina'' Burgeff, 1926
*''Zygaena transalpina curtisi'' Tremewan, 1961
*''Zygaena transalpina dufayi'' Dujardin, 1965
*''Zygaena transalpina emendata'' Verity, 1916
*''Zygaena transalpina gulsensis'' Daniel, 1954
*''Zygaena transalpina helvetica'' Bethune-Baker & Rothschild, 1921
*''Zygaena transalpina hilfi'' Reiss, 1922
*''Zygaena transalpina hippocrepidis'' Hübner, 1799
*''Zygaena transalpina intermedia'' Rocci, 1914
*''Zygaena transalpina jugi'' Burgeff, 1926
*''Zygaena transalpina latina'' Verity, 1920
*''Zygaena transalpina maritima'' Oberthur, 1898
*''Zygaena transalpina marujae'' Tremewan & Manley, 1965
*''Zygaena transalpina miltosa'' Candeze, 1883
*''Zygaena transalpina philippsi'' Romei, 1927
*''Zygaena transalpina provincialis'' Oberthur, 1907
*''Zygaena transalpina pseudoalpina'' Turati, 1910
*''Zygaena transalpina rupicola'' Rocci, 1936
*''Zygaena transalpina sorrentinaeformis'' Rocci, 1938
*''Zygaena transalpina splugena'' Burgeff, 1926
*''Zygaena transalpina subalticola'' Rocci, 1918
*''Zygaena transalpina tenuissima'' Burgeff, 1914
*''Zygaena transalpina tilaventa'' Holik, 1935
*''Zygaena transalpina xanthographa'' Germar, 1836

Distribution

This species can be found from Germany to Croatia and Italy, and from Spain to Austria and Slovenia. It is more frequent at more than 2,000 meters of altitude in the Alps, especially in the Italian Alps and Italy, with the exception of Sicily and the Adriatic coast.

Habitat

This moth occurs in warm, dry climates, particularly on dry meadows, but also on flowering grasslands at higher elevations. Though the form ''astragali'' extends beyond 50° latitude, being still common near Mombach (Mainz), Darmstadt, etc. Southern Europe, especially Italy, must be considered the principal locality of the species, the forms here flying occurring from May to July in really surprising numbers; ''maritima'' flies in great abundance even in dull weather and till nightfall on the southern slopes of the Riviera, near Genoa, Pegli, Savona, etc., ''transalpina'' being likewise very common in the southern valleys of the Alps of Ticino, extending into the North Italian plains.

Description

The wingspan of ''Zygaena transalpina'' can reach about .LOT Moths and butterflies
. Archive
14 August 2017
The forewings are of a shining bluish-green, or of a blue-black, with three pairs of carmine-red spots for each wing (in some individuals of both sexes, the spots are only five ). The two spots on the base are oval. The hind wings are carmine red, with a black-blue border and a slightly darker fringe. The underside of the forewings is light black-blue, usually with the same spots as the top.

Technical description and variation (Seitz)

''Z. transalpina'' Esp. (= ''medicaginis'' O.; ''charon'', ''angelicae'' Boisd.) Very highly coloured: metallic black-blue or -green, with 6 small, widely separated, somewhat black-edged spots. The very bright red hindwing is broadly margined with black. On the underside of the forewing, all the red spots are merged in the name-typical form. – ab. ''flava'' Dziurz. is the (accidental) light-yellow aberration. – ab. ''ferulae'' Led. ynonym of ''transalpina'' which occurs in the southern Alps and extends sporadically into Southern Germany, is red and has still smaller spots on the forewing than name-typical ''transalpina'' , but is hardly separable from it as a distinct form. – In ab. ''nigricans'' Oberth. (= ''brunnea'' Dziurz.) the red has changed into a coffee colour, as in ab. ''chrysanthemi'' of '' filipendulae''. – ''boisduvali'' Costa (= ''xanthographa'' Germ.) has yellow spots on the forewing (5 or 6), and a yellow streak or heart-shaped spot on the otherwise black hindwing; South Italy. – ab. ''zickerti'' Hofm. synonym_of_ssp._''xanthographa''_Germar,_[1836.html" ;"title="836.html" ;"title="synonym of ssp. ''xanthographa'' Germar, [1836">synonym of ssp. ''xanthographa'' Germar, [1836">836.html" ;"title="synonym of ssp. ''xanthographa'' Germar, [1836">synonym of ssp. ''xanthographa'' Germar, [1836is similar to ''boisduvali'', but the hindwing is all black, being without the yellow central spot. Flying sparingly among the preceding. – ''astragali'' Bkh. (= ''hippocrepidis'' Hbn.; ''angelicae'' Boisd.) ow subspeciesis of magnificent vermilion colour, with 6 large spots on the forewing and a narrow marginal band to the hindwing. The forewing below is uniformly vermilion (without separation into spots), with black margin. This is the northern form, which occurs in France, South and Central Germany, and Belgium, being said (probably erroneously) to extend as far as Sweden. – Specimens of this form with an abdominal belt are named by Hirschke ''astragali''. ab. ''cingulata''. – ab. ''miltosa'' Cand. ow subspeciesis founded on a small specimen from La Rochelle in which the spots of the upperside are also confluent. – ''sorrentina'' Stgr. synonym_of_ssp._''xanthographa''_Germar,_[1836.html" ;"title="836.html" ;"title="synonym of ssp. ''xanthographa'' Germar, [1836">synonym of ssp. ''xanthographa'' Germar, [1836">836.html" ;"title="synonym of ssp. ''xanthographa'' Germar, [1836">synonym of ssp. ''xanthographa'' Germar, [1836resembles ''boisduvali'', but the spots are red, and the spot of the hindwing is often very small; Southern Central Italy (Naples). – ''calabrica'' Calb. (= ''spicae'' Stgr.) [synonym of ssp. ''xanthographa'' Germar, [1836] ] is quite black, with very small red spots, the spot of the hindwing being only vestigial, the insect, therefore, resembling ''Six-spot burnet, stoechadis''; South Italy. – ''maritima'' Oberth. now subspeciesis, like the name-typical form, very bright red, but the black margin of the hindwing is wider and more sinuate; the (6) spots of the forewing below are not confluent; Riviera. – ''italica'' Dziurz. synonym of ssp. ''collina'' Burgeff, 1926 the same, but has only 5 spots; Northern Italy. – Larva green, with black dorsal stripe, and yellow lateral line, above which there are triangular black spots. Pupa black, abdomen greenish white; in a light-yellow cocoon.

This species is very similar to ''Zygaena filipendulae''. They can be distinguished by the color of the apex of the antennae (whitish and sharper in ''Z. transalpina'', black in ''Z. filipendulae''). Moreover, in ''Z. transalpina'', spot 6, when present, is clearly separated from stain 5, and even spots 3 and 4 are more distant than in ''Z. filipendulae''.Natura Mediterraneo
(in Italian).

Biology

Adults are on wing from the end of May to August in one generation per year. The imagines are lively and active insects, taking perhaps quickest to the wing of all the Burnets. They likewise simulate death when suddenly touched, but revive soon and whiz quickly away, the flight being fast.

It is an aposematic species because its warning colors signal it as toxic to predators such as birds and lizards. In case of attack, it emits a liquid containing cyanide.

The larvae feed on the leaves of ''Hippocrepis comosa'' and sometimes ''Coronilla varia'' and ''Lotus corniculatus''. Larvae can be found from August, after overwintering, to June of the following year.

Gallery

Zygaena transalpina MHNT CUT 2011 0 437 Huez dos.jpg, Mounted specimen. Dorsal side
Zygaena transalpina MHNT CUT 2011 0 437 Huez ventre.jpg, Ventral side
Zygaena transalpina.yellow.jpg, Yellow form

References

External links

www.lepiforum.de

{{Taxonbar, from=Q492456

Zygaena
Moths of Europe
Moths described in 1780