The present study shows that the habitat requirements of burnet moths differ between species and between life stages. To promote larvae, pupae and adults of Z. filipendulae, Z. lonicerae and Z. viciae, successful management should aim at:

• Preserving sites with a high cover of their respective host plants (L. corniculatus, T. medium/pratense and Vicia spp.) and important nectar sources such as Centaurea, Cirsium and other red and violet composite flowers.
• Some grazing or other types of management is recommended because no host plants or nectar sources are favoured by a complete lack of grazing, leading to grass domination. Management should also be carried out to keep the areas open and sunny.
• However, pupae of Z. filipendulae are often exposed on the stems of grasses and other plants, and require higher vegetation than other life stages. Management must therefore be executed with great care, or late in the season, to not harm unhatched pupae or reduce the amount of substrates suitable for cocoon attachment.

At the landscape scale, burnet moths are promoted by a high density of semi-natural grassland although other vegetation types, such as fringes of wood and road verges, are also important to manage and preserve. These results are in line with many other studies that demonstrate the general importance of semi-natural grasslands on butterfly occurrence.