Characteristics
- Diurnal or crepuscular moths, with slow flight
- Narrow wings, often metallic or brightly colored (red, blue, green)
- Stout bodies, antennae sometimes clubbed or slightly feathered
- Aposematic coloration: visual warning signal to predators
- Well-developed proboscis, flower-visiting adults
Habitat
Zygaenoidea inhabit:
- Dry grasslands, calcareous lawns, flowering heaths
- Woodland edges, fallows, sunny hillsides
- Environments rich in dicotyledons, often low-disturbance sites
Biology
- Eggs laid on the host plant, usually Fabaceae or Rosaceae
- Caterpillars slow-moving, often hairy or smooth, containing cyanogenic compounds
- Pupation in a silk cocoon, often visible on the stem
- One generation per year (univoltine), adults appear in summer
Included families
- Zygaenidae – Main European family, Zygaena genus highly diverse
- Other families are marginal in Europe (e.g., Himantopteridae, Chalcosiinae in other regions)
Notable species
- Zygaena filipendulae – Six-spot burnet: black wings with six red spots, very common
- Zygaena lonicerae, Zygaena trifolii – Similar species, hard to distinguish without close examination
- Zygaena carniolica – More localized, red spots rimmed with white
Special features
- Genuine toxicity in adults and larvae: chemical defenses based on cyanide
- Mimicry and evolutionary convergence with other groups (e.g., Ctenuchinae)
- Valuable bioindicators of well-preserved dry grasslands
- Reproduction sometimes involves complex courtship behavior
A realistic illustration of a Zygaena filipendulae resting on a flower, or a smooth caterpillar on a clover leaf, will be added soon.