Zygaena occitanica
Introduction '''''Zygaena occitanica''''', the '''Provence burnet''',  is a moth of the Zygaenidae family. It is found from the Algarve and southern Spain up to the eastern parts of the Cantabrian Mountains  then to southern Russia and the Caucasus and east to the western fringe of Central Asia.200pxIt is only the western representative of the ''carniolica'' series. Spot 6 is always pure white; the hindwing, moreover, is broadly edged with black and the abdomen is without a belt. ''albicans'' Staudinger has the forewing almost white, with red and some black spots, the white edge of the thorax being shining white and the abdomen posteriorly all red.— In ''iberica'' Stgr. ''Z. occitanica'' ssp. ''arragonica'' Holik & Sheljuzhko, 1956  (8i) the 6 spot is reduced to a narrow white speck, the spots 1 - 5 of the forewing being very thinly edged with white; the ground-colour of the forewing black; the posterior half of the abdomen usually red ; from Catalonia.If the abdominal belt is absent , which happens sometimes in the male, we have ab. ''azona'' Spuler  ab. of ''Z. occitanica ssp. arragonica'' Holik & Sheljuzhko, 1956 . — ab. disjuncta Spuler is based on specimens of ''iberica'' in which the spots of the forewing are distinctly and widely separated. There exist almost all gradations between these forms, and by naming all of them the series of aberrations would be considerably enlarged. The wingspan is about 23 mm.
Subspecies *''Zygaena occitanica occitanica''*''Zygaena occitanica albarracinensis'' Reiss & Reiss, 1970*''Zygaena occitanica arragonica'' Holik & Sheljuzhko, 1956*''Zygaena occitanica burgosensis'' Tremewan, 1963*''Zygaena occitanica eulalia'' Burgeff, 1926*''Zygaena occitanica freudei'' Daniel, 1960*''Zygaena occitanica hedeae'' Eitschberger, 1973*''Zygaena occitanica huescacola'' Tremewan & Manley, 1965*''Zygaena occitanica praematura'' Przegendza, 1932*''Zygaena occitanica vandalitia'' Burgeff, 1926Habitat in Algarve
Biology The larva feeds on Fabaceae - ''Dorycnium pentaphyllum'', ''Anthyllis cytisoides'', ''Lotus creticus'', ''Lotus longisiliquosus'' in  maquis, garrigue, scrub, arid grasslands, mountain slopes, dry river gorges and  very sparse woodland.
References