Which burnet?

Africa · #1 (**permalink**) 26-06-2010, 08:44 PM

I watched this Burnet Moth at a local wildlife garden. I thought it was a 5 spot burnet, but it appears the narrow five-spot is very similar. Can it be reliably IDed with its wings closed. Any help will be appreciated.

Guinnessman1974 · #2 (**permalink**) 26-06-2010, 09:25 PM

I'd say 5 spot Burnet.

Below is a photo of, I think, of the same species I saw today. Anyone please let me know if these are not 5 spot Burnets?

aeshna5 · #3 (**permalink**) 27-06-2010, 05:13 AM

It's one of the 2 5-spot Burnet species. Narrow-bordered 5-spot is the more common one, but couldn't ID it from the photo. If it's not on chalk almost def. Narrow-bordered.

poschiavanus · #4 (**permalink**) 27-06-2010, 08:58 AM

The two species can be confused, but in terms of known distribution one in Yorkshire is much more likely to be a Narrow-bordered Five-spot. Recent county moth faunas have been pretty sceptical about older records of Five-spot Burnets (e.g. Colin Plant for Hertfordshire, David Brown for Warwickshire), so published distribution maps using older literature are not that reliable (such as that on NBN gateway).

Plant gives a good summary of the distribution

Quote:

"Five-spot Burnet is to be found on the western edge of England and Wales and along the southern edge of England as far east as about Sussex, whilst the Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet is found throughout the erst of England, and very sparingly in both Scotland and Ireland

Guinnessman1974 · #5 (**permalink**) 27-06-2010, 10:26 AM

I took my photo in Shropshire, non-chalk grassland.

And what is the difference between 5-spot and a Narrow-bordered one? I'm confused now!

poschiavanus · #6 (**permalink**) 27-06-2010, 11:01 AM

One has a narrower-bordered hind wing than the other! I'll let you guess which one.

There are differences in overall shape, but the revisions in moth faunas have usually been based on looking at pinned specimens, and probably genital dissection.

Shropshire has both: Moth Group mapped records, and some map information. Neither is that well recorded so it might be worth contacting the county recorder.