This European butterfly is highly venomous – and dangerous to humans, too

Nature can be treacherous at times. The beautiful, colorful animals are often the most dangerous. This also applies to the sainfoin-widders, which are also called Krainer-widders or colloquially blood drops.

Although zoologically a member of the moth family, the sainfoin (Zygaena carniolica) is a diurnal moth. The animals can be recognized at first glance by their striking wing pattern: bright red spots appear on the black, pearlescent shimmering background, which are surrounded by a differently pronounced clear border.

According to the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz in Deutschland (BUND), the caterpillars of the sainfoin are light green or yellow in color and have a few black spots on each segment. The moth’s name comes from the caterpillars’ favorite food plant, the sainfoin.

The butterflies are distributed throughout Europe between June and the end of August, from Sicily to northern Germany and Belarus, mainly in the mountains.

As beautiful as the moths look, the signal color red on the outer wings indicates their danger. Because both the caterpillars and the adult sainfoin are poisonous.

The butterflies produce hydrocyanic acid and are therefore also poisonous to humans. The German Society for Nature Conservation (Nabu) explicitly warns against touching the rams.

You should be especially careful with children. Out of curiosity, you were not only allowed to touch the caterpillars and adult moths, but also to put them in your mouth. In the worst case, swallowing the butterfly can lead to death – even in adults.

In addition, the rooster comb contains acetylcholine and histamine. These two substances cause an increased sensation of pain. This means that even touching the moth can be painful.

The butterflies display a strange behavior, the cause of which is still unknown. In the evening the butterflies gather in large groups, nestled close together, on loose flowers or culms.

The groups are only pure male or pure female. What is strange is the concentration of these collections on very specific flowers, while neighboring specimens that look exactly the same remain completely free. The sainfoin widder was voted insect of the year in Germany and Austria in 2008.