Burnet Companion

Fascinating facts about the Burnet Companion

• The burnet companion moth belongs to the family Erebidae and is distributed across most of the Palearctic realm. Its range stretches from Ireland in the far west, across continental Europe, and reaches as far east as Mongolia and Siberia. The species also extends southward, inhabiting the Mediterranean region and the North African coast. This broad distribution means it can be encountered in a wide variety of temperate habitats throughout the region.
• The hindwings of the burnet companion are a striking orange colour, crossed by dark veins that give the wing a net-like appearance. The base and inner margin of these wings are coloured fuscous, and a blackish submarginal band runs along the edge, its teeth pointing outward at the costa and in the middle of the wing. A darker terminal shade follows the veins toward the wing tip, adding contrast to the vivid orange background.
• In Britain the burnet companion most commonly appears as the uniformly dark brown form known as ab. suffusa Spul., which is described as the usual British type. This variant lacks the lighter markings seen in other forms and is therefore readily recognisable. By contrast, the ab. marginata Spul. displays a whitish-ochreous subterminal area, while the ab. obsoleta Strand is almost without the dark underside bands.
• The caterpillar of the burnet companion displays a yellowish-brown or reddish-brown body with a darker dorsal line and a head bearing two dark streaks. It feeds on Viola, Trifolium species (especially Trifolium pratense), Medicago sativa, Lotus corniculatus, Vicia cracca, Lathyrus pratensis and Hippocrepis comosa.
• Burnet companion larvae feed on Trifolium species (including Trifolium pratense), Medicago sativa, Lotus corniculatus, Vicia cracca, Lathyrus pratensis, Hippocrepis comosa and Viola species.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Burnet Companion

In the warm, golden light of a summer's evening, the Burnet Companion moth dances through the air, its delicate wings beating in a hypnotic rhythm as it navigates the intricate tapestry of wildflowers that line the meadows and woodland edges. With an ethereal elegance, it flits from bloom to bloom, sipping nectar and leaving behind a trail of gentle, whispered touches, its very presence a reminder of the beauty and mystery that lies just beyond the reach of our everyday perceptions. As it moves, the soft, downy hairs that cover its body catch the fading light, casting a faint, shimmering glow that seems almost otherworldly.

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