The Zygaenidae

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

s are a family of

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

. The majority of zygaenids are

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

, but they are nevertheless quite well represented in temperate regions. Some of the 1000 or so species are commonly known as burnet or forester moths, often qualified by the number of spots, although other families also have 'foresters'. They are also sometimes called smoky moths. All 43 species of Australian zygaenids are commonly known as foresters and belong to the tribe Artonini. The only nonendemic species in Australia is ''

Palmartona catoxantha ''Palmartona'' is a genus of moths in the family Zygaenidae. It contains only one species, ''Palmartona catoxantha'', which is found from Myanmar eastwards throughout Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia (Sumatra, Nias, Java, Bangka, Kalimantan, Sulawe ...

'', a Southeast Asian pest species which is believed to be already present in Australia or likely to arrive soon.Tarmann, G.M. "Zygaenid moths of Australia. A revision of the Australian Zygaenidae".

Description

Larvae

Larvae are stout and may be flattened. A fleshy extension of the thorax covers the head. Most feed on herbaceous plants, but some are tree feeders. Larvae in two subfamilies, Chalcosiinae and Zygaeninae, have cavities in which they store the cyanide, and can excrete it as defensive droplets.Niehuis, O., Yen, S.H., Naumann, C.M. & Misof, B. (2006). "Higher phylogeny of zygaenid moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial sequence data and the evolution of larval cuticular cavities for chemical defence." ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 39(3): 812-829.

Aposematism in adults

Zygaenid moths are typically day flying with a slow, fluttering flight, and with rather clubbed

antenna Antenna ( antennas or antennae) may refer to: Science and engineering * Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic (e.g., TV or radio) waves * Antennae Galaxies, the name of two collid ...

e. They generally have a metallic sheen and often prominent spots of red or yellow. The bright colours are a warning to predators that the moths are distasteful - they contain

hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an ...

(HCN) throughout all stages of their life cycle. Unlike most insects with such toxins, they obtain

glucosides A glucoside is a glycoside that is derived from glucose. Glucosides are common in plants, but rare in animals. Glucose is produced when a glucoside is hydrolysed by purely chemical means, or decomposed by fermentation or enzymes. The name was o ...

from the plants they utilize so that HCN can be used as a defence. However, they are capable of making HCN themselves, and when in an environment poor in cyanide-producing plants, synthesize it themselves. They form

mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. Often, mimicry f ...

complexes based on these toxins.Naumann, C.M., Tarmann, G.M. & Tremewan, W.G. (1999). ''The Western Palaearctic Zygaenidae''. Apollo Books. However, while the overall picture is of genuine

aposematism Aposematism is the advertising by an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defences which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste or ...

– the insects are both conspicuously coloured and toxic, containing cyanogenic glucosides – a study by Emmanuelle Briolat and colleagues including Martin Stevens found no evidence of a quantitative relationship between the visual signals of different species of Zygaenidae and their toxicity.

Evolution

The fossil species '' Neurosymploca? oligocenica'', belonging to the subfamily Zygaeninae, is known from Lower Stampian (Early

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

) deposits in

Céreste Céreste (; Occitan: ''Ceirèsta'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. It is known for its rich fossil beds in fine layers of "Calcaire de Campagne Calavon" limestone, which are now protected by the Pa ...

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Alpes-de-Haute-Provence or sometimes abbreviated as AHP (; oc, Aups d'Auta Provença; ) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, bordering Alpes-Maritimes and Italy to the east, Var to the south, Vaucluse to the west ...

, France. Lepidopterans with preserved structural coloration from the Eocene (~47 Ma) shales of the Messel Pit, Germany, are suggested to be zygaenids, and more specifically procridines due to wing venation patterns.

Economic importance

The grapeleaf skeletonizer can be a problem in vineyards, feeding on foliage and can also be found feeding on Virginia creeper.

Selected taxa

Genera '' incertae sedis'' include: * '' Acoloithus'' * ''

Harrisina ''Harrisina'' is a genus of moths of the family Zygaenidae. Species * ''Harrisina americana'' – grapeleaf skeletonizer (Guérin-Méneville, 832 * ''Harrisina aversus'' (H. Edwards, 1884) * ''Harrisina brillians'' (Barnes & McDunnough, 1910) ...

'' * '' Pyromorpha'' * '' Reissita'' * '' Seryda'' * ''

Tetraclonia ''Tetraclonia'' is a genus of moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximate ...

'' * ''

Triprocris ''Triprocris'' is a genus of moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximatel ...

Pest Pest or The Pest may refer to: Science and medicine * Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns ** Weed, a plant considered undesirable * Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection ** ...

species include: *

Almond-tree leaf skeletonizer moth ''Aglaope infausta'', or almond-tree leaf skeletonizer moth, is a moth of the family Zygaenidae. Description The wings are gray with some red towards the base. The thorax is black and is crossed with a red band. The wingspan is about . The ca ...

(''Aglaope infausta'') * Vine bud moth (''Theresimima ampellophaga'') *

Grapeleaf skeletonizer The grapeleaf skeletonizer (''Harrisina americana'') is a moth in the family Zygaenidae. It is widespread in the eastern half of the United States, and commonly noticed defoliating grapes, especially of the Virginia creeper (''Parthenocissus qu ...

(''Harrisina americana'') South European species: * ''

Zygaena fausta ''Zygaena fausta'' is a member of the family Zygaenidae, the day-flying burnet moths. Its bright aposematic colours of red, white and black on the wings indicate to possible predators such as birds that it is foul tasting or poisonous. In fl ...

'' UK species: * Scarce forester (''Jordanita globulariae'') * Cistus forester (''Adscita geryon'') *

Green forester ''Adscita statices'', the green forester, is a moth of the family Zygaenidae. It is found in Europe, Mongolia and western Russia. Description The wingspan is . The antennae, head, thorax, legs and abdomen are shiny green (the thorax is occasio ...

(''Adscita statices'') * Scotch burnet (''Zygaena exulans'') * Slender Scotch burnet (''Zygaena loti'') * New Forest burnet (''Zygaena viciae'') *

Six-spot burnet The six-spot burnet (''Zygaena filipendulae'') is a day-flying moth of the family Zygaenidae. Subspecies *''Z. f. altapyrenaica'' Le Charles, 1950 *''Z. f. arctica'' Schneider, 1880 *''Z. f. balcanirosea'' Holik, 1943 *''Z. f. campaniae'' Re ...

(''Zygaena filipendulae'') *

Five-spot burnet ''Zygaena trifolii'', the five-spot burnet, is a moth in the family Zygaenidae. It is found from North Africa, through the western Mediterranean, Great Britain and central Europe to Ukraine. It is not found in Scandinavia. The wingspan is 28– ...

(''Zygaena trifolii'') *

Narrow-bordered five-spot burnet ''Zygaena lonicerae'', the narrow-bordered five-spot burnet, is a moth of the family Zygaenidae. The species was first described by Theodor Gottlieb von Scheven in 1777. Subspecies *''Zygaena lonicerae lonicerae'' *''Zygaena lonicerae abbast ...

(''Zygaena lonicerae'') * Transparent burnet (''Zygaena purpuralis'') African species: *

Fire grid burnet The fire grid burnet (''Arniocera erythropyga'') is a day-flying moth of the family Zygaenidae found in Zimbabwe and Malawi to Mozambique and South Africa. This moth looks different from other burnets, mainly because of its colours. The common n ...

(''Arniocera erythopyga'') Extinct species: * ''Neurosymploca? oligocenica'' Fernández-Rubio & Nel, 2000 ( Lower Stampian,

, France)

References

External links

List of Zygaenidae Types
p. 8-11 (

Museum Witt The Museum Witt Munich (MWM) is a department of the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology. It is located in Munich, Germany, and has the world's leading collection of moths. Collection The museum was established in 1980 by Thomas J. Witt. Hi ...

München).
Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa - Zygaenidae
- many pictures of species *
Science News: Zygaenidae "make cyanide using the exact same cellular machinery as their host plants"

Images of Zygaenidae species in New Zealand
{{Authority control Moth families