Smoky moths

Definition

A vernacular name for the family Zygaenidae, a group of small to medium-sized moths characterized by metallic coloration, diurnal habits, and aposematic warning coloration advertising their chemical defenses. The name refers particularly to species with subdued gray, brown, or smoky wing patterns, though the family also includes brightly colored burnet moths with crimson and metallic forewings.

Etymology

From the dull, grayish-brown or smoky wing coloration of many species, contrasting with the more vividly marked 'burnet' members of the same family.

Example

The six-spot burnet (Zygaena filipendulae), a conspicuous red-and-black day-flying European species, belongs to the family commonly called smoky moths despite its bright aposematic coloration.

Synonyms

• burnet moths
• forester moths

Related Terms

• Zygaenidae
• aposematic coloration
• diurnal moths
• burnet moth
• forester moth
• Lepidoptera
• warning coloration

Usage Notes

The term is somewhat ambiguous in practice: 'smoky moths' properly refers to the entire family Zygaenidae, but is sometimes applied more narrowly to the duller-colored species, with 'burnet moths' reserved for the bright red-and-black spotted forms. 'Forester moths' is an older name now discouraged because it invites confusion with unrelated moths in the family Agaristidae. All three names—smoky, burnet, and forester—may appear in field guides for the same species depending on regional tradition.