Zygaenidae
Taxonomic placing: Insecta, Holometabola, Lepidoptera.
Common name: Smoky moths, leaf skeletonizer moths, burnet or forester moths.
Geographical distribution: This mostly tropical family, with a few subtropical species, has about 1,000 described taxa.
Morphology Larvae are stout, very hairy, and may be flattened. Part of the thorax covers the head and they bear 5 pairs of prolegs. The adults are generally brightly colored, with prominent red and yellow spots and a metallic sheen.
Life history: These insects fly mostly by day, their larvae usually feeding on herbaceous plants, some species also on trees. Throughout all stages their bodies contain the highly toxic hydrogen cyanide (HCN), which they obtain from the host plants and which serves as deterrent to predators.
Economic importance: Theresimima ampellophaga can be a problem in vineyards, as its larvae feed on buds and foliage. It may also attack Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch).
References
Niehuis, O., Naumann, C.M. and Misof, B. 2006. Phylogenetic analysis of Zygaenoidea small-subunit rRNA structural variation implies initial oligophagy on cyanogenic host plants in larvae of the moth genus Zygaena (Insecta: Lepidoptera). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 147: 367-381.
Zagrobelny, M., Bak, S., Rasmussen, A.V., JØrgensen, B., Naumann, C.M. and MØller, B.L. 2004. Cyanogenic glucosides and plant–insect interactions. Phytochemistry 65: 293–306.
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