Zygaena viciae ssp. ytenensis (New Forest Burnet)

[Melanie]

The New Forest Burnet was first discovered in 1869 in the New Forest (2). The endemic subspecies (Zygaena viciae ytenensis) was last seen in 1927 and is now sadly extinct. The subspecies Zygaena viciae argyllensis, which is also endemic, was found in western Argyllshire in 1963. It is a striking crimson and red moth, that differs to Z. v. ytenensis in that it has broader and darker forewings and a thicker border on the hindwings. Furthermore, the thorax and abdomen are more hairy (4). The caterpillars are grass-green in colour, with small yellow flecks and black dots along the sides (2)

[Melanie]

pictures

www.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/research-curation/research/projects/cockayne/taxon.dsml?option=typicalmoths&beginIndex=491&searchPageURL=index.dsml%3Foption%3Dtypicalmoths%26beginIndex%3D456&listPageURL=browse.dsml%3FbeginIndex%3D456%26option%3Dtypicalmoths

[Deleted]

Zygaena viciae anglica is a name that sometimes appears in lists of British butterflies, it is just a synonym for Z. v. ytenensis.

both names are mentioned here:

www.staffs-ecology.org.uk/staffsmoths/downloads/british_list.pdf

[Deleted]

New Forest Burnet
(Zygaena viciae ytenensis)





source:

'The moths of the British Isles, by Richard South. London, F. Warne & Co., 1907-09.'

www.biodiversitylibrary.org

[Sebbe]

The New Forest Burnet [Zygaena viciae ytenensis ] was discovered in Britain in 1869, but was confused with another species at first. The endemic subspecies ytenensis was known from nine small colonies in large woodland clearings. One by one the colonies died out and by 1927 the Burnet moth was extinct in its forest home. W. Gerald Tremewan the Burnet moth expert who studied the history of this species in great detail, wrote in a 1966 paper that he identified two factors why ytenensis became extinct in the New Forest. He relates that the main factor was pressure from collectors, who in some cases he says removed all of the adults of the entire emergence in some of the colonies. Tremewan also mentions that habitat change was also responsible, but the main cause was human predation. You may and I have my own views on why the New Forest Burnet moth became extinct, I am simply relating those findings and conclusions of Gerald Tremewan. I would suggest that habitat change would have been the most likely cause for this moths disappearance.

Read more: www.insectnet.proboards.com/thread/5293/extinct-endemic-subspecies-british-moths#ixzz31KDF7HNX