Larva showing warning colours, flattening
The Zygaenidae are a family of Lepidoptera (moths) typically day-flying with a slow fluttering flight, and with rather clubbed antennae. 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 throughout all stages of their life-cycle. Unlike most insects with such toxins, they manufacture these themselves rather than obtaining them from host plants (Scoble 1992). They are known to have mimicry complexes based on these toxins (Naumann et al., 1999).
Larvae are stout and may be fattened. A fleshy extension of the thorax covers the head. Most feed on herbaceous plants, but there are some 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 et al., 2006)
The majority of Zygaenids are tropical, but they are nevertheless quite well represented in temperate regions. There are about 1000 species. Various 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.
Selected taxa
Genera incertae sedis include:
Pest species include:
10 Species are found in the UK:
African species include:
In Australia
Satin-green Forester, Pollanisus viridipulverulentus, found in most of Australia (including temperate Tasmania).
All 43 species of Australian Zygaenids belong to the Artonini tribe of Procridinae subfamily, and are commonly known as foresters. The only non-endemic species is Palmartona catoxantha, a Southeast Asian pest species which is believed to be already present in Australia or likely to arrive soon. [1]
References
- Naumann, CM, GM Tarmann and WG Tremewan, 1999. The Western Palaearctic Zygaenidae, Apollo Books.
- Niehuis, O, SH Yen, CM Naumann, and B Misof, 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.
- Scoble, 1992. The Lepidoptera: Form, function and diversity. Oxford Univ. Press.
External links
|
