Exclamation mark
| Exclamation mark | ||||||||||||
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Exclamation mark ( Agrotis exclamationis ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Agrotis exclamationis | ||||||||||||
| Linnaeus , 1758 |
The exclamation mark ( Agrotis exclamationis ), also known as exclamation point , common grass owl , brown- gray grass owl or brown-gray grass-earth owl , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the owl butterfly family (Noctuidae), which can be found in large parts of Eurasia.
features
The moths reach a wingspan of 35–46 mm. The basic color of the forewings is very variable and ranges from light gray-brown to yellowish and reddish brown to blackish brown forms; the darker ones are usually females. The leading edge and hem are usually a little darker than the rest of the wing. Most of the drawing elements are poorly developed and sometimes completely absent, such as the black, serrated transverse lines and the light, jagged wavy line. The most striking drawing feature is the black, elongated cone flaw , which, together with the brown to black-brown filled kidney flaw, can with a little imagination remind you of an exclamation mark (even if the two elements are not in one line). The little noticeable flaw has a thin black border and is only slightly darker than the basic color. The hind wings of the male are white with a light brown line and a light brown front edge, in the female they are gray-brown with a slightly lighter base. The antennae are toothed in the male and thread-shaped in the female. The black patagia (paired structure on the pronotum that covers the base of the forewings) are very characteristic of both sexes .
The egg is almost spherical, slightly flattened at the bottom. It measures 0.5mm in height and 0.85mm in diameter. It is initially light yellow in color and gradually acquires a brownish tone over the course of its development. The micropyl region initially appears wine-colored, and a wine-colored band is formed in the upper part of the egg. Shortly before hatching, the egg turns dark gray-brown. The surface is covered with numerous, broad longitudinal ribs. About 14 to 15 of the 43 to 46 longitudinal ribs are a little more prominent and extend to the micropyl region, the others end earlier. Weaker transverse lines cross with the longitudinal ribs; they are somewhat thickened at the lowest point between two ribs.
The caterpillars are gray-brown in color and have a light back line and clearly recognizable black point warts.
The doll is colored bright red. Two short curved thorns sit on the cremaster .
Similar species
Some forms of Agrotis segetum and Agrotis clavis can be similar to Agrotis exclamationis , but differ in the lack of black coloring of the neck collar and in the males in the more strongly combed antennae. The caterpillars of related species (including the common sowing owl Agrotis segetum ) can only be reliably distinguished by anatomical features and details of the head capsule drawing.
Geographical distribution and habitat
The distribution area extends over all countries of Europe, in the north to the Arctic Circle, and through the climatically temperate zones of Asia to the Pacific. It is only missing on some Mediterranean islands. In the mountains the species reaches an altitude of 2,000 m. In Europe, Agrotis exclamationis is one of the most common owl butterflies, especially in and around human settlements.
Agrotis exclamationis colonizes open habitats. They can be found on hay meadows, in various agricultural crops, on non-sprayed arable and field areas, on roadsides, on fallow land and ruderal sites, in gardens, parks, cemeteries and generally in localities, on forest edges (but not in the interior of the forest), on meadow orchards, in vineyards, in rock corridors, on sandy grasslands, in fens or on grassy slopes and embankments. The moths are often found in gardens during the day and occasionally hide in buildings.
Way of life
In southern Europe and in mild regions of Central Europe, two generations can occur in favorable years. The first generation of butterflies flies from April / May to July / August, while the second is found in August and September. In Northern Europe and in the mountains, only one generation develops from May / June to August. The moths visit flowers and can be attracted with fruit and sugar baits. Both sexes are attracted to artificial light sources. The eggs are laid in a layer in ribbons or in small groups, usually close together.
The caterpillar season lasts - with bivoltine occurrence - approximately from May to July and from August - overwintering - until April / May. The caterpillars feed on the roots and near-ground leaves of various plants in the herbaceous layer, including grasses, garden plants and agricultural crops. The young caterpillars still live freely on the leaves, the larger caterpillars prefer to eat underground plant parts such as roots and tubers. They rest on and in the ground during the day and are often found while gardening; at night they occasionally come out and eat leaves. The doll lies in a fragile cavity in or on the ground.
Systematics
The species was described in 1758 by Carl von Linné in the tenth edition of the Systema Naturae as Phalaena Noctua exclamationis . The subgenus Phalaena Noctua roughly corresponded to today's family Noctuidae . In the course of the refinement of the insect system, the species was transferred from the genus Phalaena to the genus Noctua , which was upgraded to the genus , in the 19th century , then to the genus Agrotis (earth owls, ground owls), and by some authors also in Rhyacia . For reasons of nomenclature, Agrotis was given the generic name Scotia for several decades in the mid-20th century .
Subspecies
As with most of the variable species, different color forms and individual aberrations were given names in Agrotis exclamationis . The current fourth edition of the International Rules for Zoological Nomenclature no longer recognizes any infrasubspecific taxa in the zoological nomenclature. Nonetheless, some authors continue to use formae as informal units.
Fibiger (1990) recognizes two subspecies:
- Agrotis exclamationis exclamationis (Linnaeus, 1758), the nominate subspecies, in most of the distribution area
- Agrotis exclamationis corsica Rungs, 1977, Corsica, with ash-gray coloration of the forewings and clearly developed transverse lines
Ambiguity in German names
In the specialist literature and among entomologists, the German name Ausrufungszeichen is most common. Common grass owl is a problematic name because there are dozens of owl butterfly species known as "grass owl" (for example in the genera Agrotis , Cerapteryx , Tholera , Mythimna , Apamea , Oligia , Mesoligia , Chortodes , Eremobia , Luperina , Stilbia, etc.).
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ Red lists at Science4you
- ↑ a b Fibiger (1990: pp. 87-88)
- ↑ a b Dolinskaya & Geryak (2010: p. 19)
- ↑ a b Forster & Wohlfahrt (1971: p. 15)
- ↑ Pictures of clutches of Agrotis exclamationis
literature
- Axel Steiner and Günter Ebert: The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 7, Nachtfalter V (Owls (Noctuidae) 3rd part), Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-8001-3500-0
- Michael Fibiger: Noctuidae Europaeae. Volume 1, Noctuinae I. Entomological Press, Søro 1990, ISBN 87-89430-01-8
- Michael Fibiger: Noctuinae III. - Noctuidae Europaeae, Volume 3. Entomological Press, Sorø, 1997, ISBN 8-789-43005-0
- Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .
- Arno Bergmann: The large butterflies of Central Germany. Volume 4/1: Owls. Distribution, forms and communities. Urania-Verlag, Jena 1954, DNB 450378373 .
- IV Dolinskaya, Yu. A. Geryak: The Chorionic Sculpture of the Eggs of Some Noctuinae (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) from Ukraine. Vestnik zoologii, 44 (5): 421-432, 2010 doi : 10.2478 / v10058-010-0028-4
