Bembecia scopigera

• Subfamily: Sesiinae - Synanthedonini
• Wingspan: 19-29 mm
• Flight period: Jun - Aug
• Spread: Uncommon
• Host plants: Onobrychis sp.

Information

The Bembecia scopigera is a moth of the Sesiidae family with a wingspan of 12-29 mm.
In Europe we find it in Spain, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Greece, Bulgaria, Ukraine and southern European Russia. *
Its range extends to Turkey. ***
In Italy it is absent from the islands. *

The front wings of the Bembecia scopigera have, in the median area, a yellow-orange stripe that separates the transparent areas of the wing itself, the costal margin is brownish black, the anal margin is yellow. The discal area laterally has a semicircular spot of orange color with the ETA (transparent area) of ovoid shape.

The hind wings are transparent with black or orange veins, the costa is orange up to the apex of the wing. The body of these moths is black, with narrow yellow transverse bands.
The antenna is black in males, while in females it is yellow-orange with a black terminal part.

Hardly distinguishable from the congener Bembecia ichneumoniformis it differs from the latter due to the apical area which Bembecia scopigera is yellow-orange not clearly separated from the transparent area (ETA) which is wider and outwards and often dissolves gradually, while in Bembecia ichneumoniformis the border is clear.
In any case, for the determination of the species in males, observation of the genitals is necessary.

This species prefers arid soils. Uncommon species, adults can be seen in flight from June to August. Like other belonging to the genus Bembecia in flight they emit the flying sound of some hymen.
It is a univoltine species overwinters as a larva in a cocoon in the roots of the host plant. ****
The larvae begin to feed from mid-April. The spawning takes place in early July and the larvae emerge after 10-14 days. ****
They have begun to feed, entering the crowns through cracks, cracks and buds on the plant, and overwinter from the end of September. ****

The larva is whitish, translucent, with a brown / amber head, the pupa is dark ocher with brown shades. **

The larvae feed on the roots of Onobrychis species, including Onobrychis sativa, Onobrychis viciinifolia and Onobrychis toumefortii, especially Onobrychis viciinifolia (sainfoin).


* Lepidoptera mundi https://lepidoptera.eu/ - Fauna Europea https://fauna-eu.org/
** Bestimmungshilfe für die in Europa nachgewiesenen Schmetterlingsarten - http://lepiforum.de/ -
*** A Contribution to the Knowledge of the Sesiidae of Turkey (Lepidoptera) - https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/issues/zoo-05-29-1/zoo-29-1-4-0402-1.pdf
**** Gültekin L. & Güçlü Ş. 1997. Bioecology of Bembecia scopigera (Scopoli) (Lep.: Sesiidae) pest of sainfoin in Erzurum. Bitki Koruma Bülteni 37 (3-4): 101-110. - https://www.researchgate.net/