| Carniolan Burnet (Zygaena carniolica (Scopoli, 1763)) |
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Scientific name: Zygaena carniolica (Scopoli, 1763) Common name: Carniolan Burnet French name: Zygène de la carniole, Zygène du sainfoin. Order: Lepidoptera Suborder: Heterocera Family: Zygaenidae Subfamily: Zygaeninae Wingspan: 30-35 mm. Biotope: Bushes, sunny meadows, with a preference for calcareous soil. Geographic area: Europe, missing in northern Scandinavia. Flight time: June to August. Number of generations : 1 Caterpillar: Yellowish green or pale green with two pairs of black patches on each segment. The fore patches are small and rather rectangular. The hind patches are larger and triangular. Host plant: Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Sainfoins (Onobrychis sp), Anthyllis sp, Dorycnium sp. |
You can tell apart the Carniolan Burnet with its red patches circled with pale yellowish white. The last patch, next to the tip of the wing, is crescent-shaped but always well separated from the previous patch. There are many subspecies which may show a white collar at the back of the head or a red stripe on the abdomen. Other Burnet moths show red patches circled with a pale colour. The Provence Burnet (Zygaena occitanica) shows a last white patch, with no red colour. The Auspicious Burnet (Zygaena fausta) shows larger red patches and the red colour is paler. The two tips of the last crescent-shaped patch are very close to the previous patch and they even touch it. It is the same with Zygaena hilaris on which the last patch touches the previous one. |
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The red patches are circled with a pale colour. The last red patch is crescent-shaped and well separated from the preceding ones. So we have one specimen of the Carniolan Burnet species here. |
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Following the high number of species I am used to observing on Origano, I have decided to plant this flower species in my garden. |
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I have kept this picture because you can guess a red ring on the abdomen. |
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I have only shot a picture of the underside. To tell the species apart, I have first listed all the Burnet moths showing a red ring on the abdomen. Looking at a key on Burnet moths, the possible species are the Variable Burnet (Zygaena ephialtes), the New Forest Burnet (Zygaena viciae), the Carniolan Burnet (Zygaena carniolica) and the Auspicious Burnet (Zygaena fausta). I was hoping to eliminate some of them because of the geographical location but without any success. Then I have decided for the Carniolan Burnet as this is, among all previously mentioned species, the only one that I have already observed at this place. So the species identification is not 100% sure but highly probable. |
André Bon March 2016
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