Five-spot Burnet
Zygaena trifolii
Zygaena trifolii, the five-spot burnet, is a day-flying moth in the family Zygaenidae found in North Africa and Europe. It was described by the German zoologist Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper in 1783 from the type specimen found in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zygaena_trifolii
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Zygaenidae
Genus
Zygaena
Five-spot Burnet belongs to the family Zygaenidae, order Lepidoptera, within the Insecta class.
Species Profile
Zygaena trifolii, the five-spot burnet, is a day-flying moth in the family Zygaenidae found in North Africa and Europe. It was described by the German zoologist Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper in 1783 from the type specimen found in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
The Five-spot Burnet (Zygaena trifolii) faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and fragmentation of its specialized coastal grassland and dune ecosystems. Agricultural intensification, coastal development, and changes in traditional grazing management have eliminated or degraded much of its remaining habitat, while climate change poses additional pressures on this already restricted species.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
It is found in North Africa (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia through the western Mediterranean, Great Britain and central Europe to Ukraine. It is not found in Scandinavia.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Five-spot Burnet (Zygaena trifolii) faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss and fragmentation of its specialized coastal grassland and dune ecosystems. Agricultural intensification, coastal development, and changes in traditional grazing management have eliminated or degraded much of its remaining habitat, while climate change poses additional pressures on this already restricted species.
Agricultural intensification
Coastal development and urbanization
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Climate change impacts
Loss of traditional grazing management
Community Sightings
Report a sightingNo community sightings yet. Be the first to report!
Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Five-spot Burnet (Zygaena trifolii). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/five-spot-burnet