The Burnets or Forrester Moths Zygaena sp

The Burnets or Forrester Moths  Zygaena sp

The Burnet Moths or Forrester Moths with their fast buzzing wing length are often mistaken for bees or  wasps  . This specimen  Note 1 likely 171  Narrow  Five-Spot Burnet Zygaena lonicerae was taken 30/06/14.  169 Six-Spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae are also present on Cromwell confirmed by obvious spot number and much longer haired larvae 

This years Burnet Numbers appear down The Moth inhabits damp meadows, marshes  Flies during the day in July and August. The larvae feed on bird's-foot trefoils (Lotus spp.).FEET have no transects of BFT with Narrow 5 Spot numbers for this year  as yet 03/07/14 . This years nature sees a rapid trend to Autumnal progression with Hawthorn already achieving berry . this narrower floristic window may impact on some species more than others

Meadow regimes , Cut Depths eg Meadow Brown larvae near grass root bases etc need careful thought. BFT on a visual assessment also seem less abundant this year

Similar to and sometimes difficult to distinguish from the Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet. Consequently, the distribution of the Five-spot Burnet is imperfectly known. In general, the forewing of the Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet is longer and more pointed, the upper angle of the hindwing being more pointed and the black border of the hindwing being narrower than those of the Five-spot Burnet. Rarely the red colour is replaced by yellow.

 Note 1 Thus Zygaena trifoli / lonicera 5 Spot / Narrow 5 Spot is commonly used to safely classify finds