Edge tufted owl

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Edge tufted owl
Field-edged tussock owl (Apamea sordens), red-brown color variant

Field- edged tussock owl ( Apamea sordens ),
red-brown color variant

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Xyleninae
Genre : Apamea
Type : Edge tufted owl
Scientific name
Apamea sordens
( Hufnagel , 1766)
Ash gray color variant
Crawfish ( Elymus repens ),
a host plant

The field - edged grass- tufted owl ( Apamea sordens , synonym : Noctua basilinea ), sometimes also referred to as the couch grass owl or rubble grass owl , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae).

features

butterfly

The wingspan of the moth is 30 to 43 millimeters. The basic color of the upper forewing varies from ash gray to reddish gray to reddish brown. Specimens with light ocher-gray forewings are called f. pallida , those with cloudy gray forewings as f. called cinerascens . A black root welt is sometimes broken. The disc region is darkened. Kidney and ring flaws stand out brightly. The kidney flaw is usually filled with blackish toward the inner edge . Cross lines are single or double. The upper side of the hind wing is monochrome, light gray-brown and has a C-shaped discoidal spot .

Caterpillar

Adult caterpillars are brownish gray in color. They show a broad whitish back line and thin side back lines of the same color. There are black point warts and stigmas on each segment of the body . The side stripe is edged with whitish and dark gray. The head capsule is shiny red-brown, pronotum and anus are dark brown. Three yellowish longitudinal stripes stand out from the pronotum.

Similar species

The moths of the field meadow tufted owl ( Apamea anceps ) are less prominent and they lack the black root welt on the upper side of the forewing.

distribution and habitat

The distribution of the species extends through Europe and northern Asia to Japan , Tibet and Yunan . It is also found in southern Canada and the northern United States . In the Alps it rises to around 1500 meters, in the Apennines up to 2000 and in the Pamir Mountains up to 3400 meters. The field edge grass tufted owl prefers to colonize semi-arid lawns, ruderal meadows, abandoned vineyards, roadsides and roadsides, embankments and cereal-growing areas.

Way of life

The moths are crepuscular and nocturnal. They fly in a generation from May to July and visit artificial light sources as well as bait . They have also been observed sucking on pigeon goiter ( Silene baccifera ), nodding catchfly ( Silene nutans ), adder's head ( Echium vulgare ) or flowering grasses. The caterpillars live mainly from August, overwinter almost fully grown and pupate in April of the following year. They prefer to feed on the seeds or stalks of various grasses , primarily the couch grass ( Elymus repens ). Commercially grown grains are also accepted. Sometimes the caterpillars were even harmful to seed wheat ( Triticum aestivum ), seed oats ( Avena sativa ), barley ( Hordeum ), or maize ( Zea mays ), as they ate the semi-ripe grains. Due to the increased use of pesticides in agriculture, the harmfulness of the species has decreased again.

Danger

The Ackerrand-Grasbüscheleule is widespread in Germany and is listed on the Red List of Endangered Species as “not endangered”.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Arno Bergmann: The large butterflies of Central Germany. Volume 4/2: Owls. Distribution, forms and communities. Urania-Verlag, Jena 1954, pp. 631-633
  2. ↑ a b c Alberto Zilli, László Ronkay, Michael Fibiger: Apameini. In: WG Tremewan (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae. 1st edition. Volume 8. Entomological Press, Sorø 2005, ISBN 87-89430-09-3 , p. 127
  3. ↑ a b Manfred Koch: We identify butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. , Neumann Verlag, Leipzig / Radebeul, 1972, pp. 170/171
  4. ↑ Markku Savela: distribution. In: Lepidoptera and some other life forms. Retrieved January 11, 2020 .
  5. ↑ Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 , pp. 130/131
  6. ^ Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. 1st edition. Volume 6. Moths IV. Noctuidae 2nd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9 , pp. 604-607
  7. ↑ Occurrence and endangerment in Germany, www.schmetterlinge-deutschlands.de

literature

  • Alberto Zilli, László Ronkay, Michael Fibiger: Apameini. In: WG Tremewan (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae. 1st edition. Volume 8. Entomological Press, Sorø 2005, ISBN 87-89430-09-3
  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. 1st edition. Volume 6. Moths IV. Noctuidae 2nd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9
  • Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5

Web links

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