Zygaena niphona is a species of moth in the Zygaenidae family.[1] It is found in the east Palearctic (Amur Oblast, Korea, Japan). In Seitz it is described Z. niphona Btlr. (= christophi Stgr.) (6e). The only Burnet from East Asia. Rather large, sparsely scaled, 5 spotted , with rather wide red abdominal belt. Club of antenna strongly incrassate at apex. The insect has the appearance of a large meliloti, but the body is strong and robust, the flight however being nevertheless not at all fast. Though the species varies considerably, some specimens being 6 spotted and resembling therefore Z. peucedani, there are no local races. The abdominal belt occupies mostly 2 segments, but is sometimes restricted to one segment, the posterior portion of the abdomen being occasionally all red. The species is widely distributed in Japan , especially at low altitudes of the central mountains, near and on the Fujisan; probably more sporadic in Amurland, since Graeser did not meet with it.[2]

Zygaena niphona
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Zygaenidae
Genus: Zygaena
Species:
Z. niphona
Binomial name
Zygaena niphona
Butler , 1877

Subspecies edit

  • Zygaena niphona Butler, 1877
  • Z. n. christophi Staudinger, 1887

References edit

  1. ^ A. Hofmann and W. G. Tremewan 2010 A revised check-list of the genus Zygaena Fabricius, 1775 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae, Zygaeninae), based on the biospecies concept Entomologist’s Gazette 61: 119–131 pdf
  2. ^ Seitz, A., 1913, in Seitz, Gross-Schmett. Erde 6: 22.,The Macrolepidoptera of the Palearctic Fauna 2. Volume: The Palearctic Bombyces & Sphinges. pdf   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.