Zygaena transalpina - Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Belgium

Zygaena loti

Seq # 410110250

Zygaena trifolii

Zygaena transalpina (Esper, 1780) Species

Last modified: Nov. 4, 2023, 5:56 p.m.

This very rare and local species is only known from a few localities in three southern provinces.

Details

Classification: Family: Zygaenidae > Subfamily: Zygaeninae > Genus: Zygaena > Subgenus: Zygaena > Species: Zygaena transalpina
Vernacular names: Zuidelijke sint-jansvlinder (NL), Southern Six Spot Burnet (EN), La Zygène transalpine (FR)
Synonyms: Zygaena hippocrepidis (Hübner, 1799)
First mention in Belgium: De Sélys-Longchamps E. 1857a. Catalogue des Insectes Lépidoptères de la Belgique. — Annales de la Société entomologique belge 1: 1–111. On page 44.
Status: Native

Distribution

Imago

Wingspan 28–32 mm. Shiny black forewings with 6 red spots, red hindwings with a narrow black border. The underside of the forewing of Z. transalpina is covered in bright red with a clearly separated black front and outer edge. In contrast, Z. filipendulae has only a faint reddish tinge around the spots on the underside of the forewing, and the front and outer edges are less clearly defined.

On the upper side, the forewing spots in Z. transalpina are usually clearly separated and appear very sharp due to a thin black border, while in Z. filipendulae they are often in pairs and give a more blurred impression.

In the relevant literature, the white antenna tips of Z. transalpina are often mentioned as a sure distinguishing feature from Z. filipendulae, which almost always has black antenna tips. However, there are also specimens of transalpina with completely black antenna tips