Ypsilone owl

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Ypsilone owl
Ypsilone Owl (Agrotis ipsilon)

Ypsilone Owl ( Agrotis ipsilon )

Systematics
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Noctuinae
Tribe : Agrotini
Sub tribus : Agrotina
Genre : Agrotis
Type : Ypsilone owl
Scientific name
Agrotis ipsilon
( Hufnagel , 1766)
Ypsilone Owl caterpillar

The Ypsilone owl ( Agrotis ipsilon ), also called Ipsiloneule or common herb-ground owl , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the owl butterfly family (Noctuidae).

features

The moths have a wingspan of 40 to 56 millimeters. The color of the forewings varies from light to dark brown, with the females mostly being darker than the males. Occasionally there are also gray-white-brightened and gray-black-darkened specimens. As with the exclamation mark , this species also has a black line on the front wing, which starts from a kidney-shaped flaw in the rear half of the wing and points outwards. At the base of the wing there are two smaller arrows pointing from the outside to the inside. The hind wings are white and appear almost transparent.

The eggs are flattened, weakly ribbed and slightly yellowish, later becoming darker.

The caterpillars are earth-brown to gray-brown in color and shiny. The underside is usually a little lighter.

The doll is red-brown.

Geographical distribution and habitat

You can find this species in open landscapes such as gardens or fields worldwide, with the exception of the tropics . It is only absent in Europe in northern Scandinavia and northern Russia. The worldwide stocks fluctuate strongly and are very dependent on the weather. In Central Europe they prefer the warmer, lower areas, but are also found in smaller numbers in the low mountain ranges.

Way of life

Every year the Ypsilone owls fly in mostly in large numbers from the Mediterranean regions over the Alps to Central Europe. The number varies greatly depending on the weather in Italy and Spain . Individual moths also seem to survive mild winters in Europe. The moths that have flown in, the few that have remained or that have just hatched in spring from overwintering caterpillars lay their eggs from April and then die. Occasionally, there is also a mass increase depending on the number of moths flown in and the weather in Central Europe. In a year with a mild winter, caterpillars of various stages survive in Germany . In a harsh winter, not only do the few remaining moths die, but also most of the caterpillars and pupae. With the exception of the winter months, the moths can therefore be found almost all year round in Central Europe. Fly-in butterflies can be found more frequently in Central Europe from April to June. A second generation then flies in Central Europe between July and November, either the descendants of the few overwinterers or those of the immigrants. The maximum of the flight is in August / September, a little later at higher altitudes. The majority of the late hatched moths then move south again and no longer seem to lay eggs here. At least a strong migratory instinct was observed in mass breeding. As is the case with many migrant butterfly species, it is not certain whether the moths will actually return to the Mediterranean areas. Only a few moths try to hibernate here in order to lay their eggs in Central Europe in spring. The moths visit flowers and can be baited with sugar. Under favorable conditions, three to four generations are formed per year.

The caterpillars dig into the ground to get to the roots of the plants. They feed on the roots of wild grasses , but also on useful plants such as cabbage and various types of vegetables. Mass occurrences have also been observed in sugar beet fields. The wintering and pupation takes place in a small cavity.

As an adaptation to the migrations to the colder regions, these moths show a relatively short development time. The egg caterpillars hatch from the eggs after one to three weeks. In summer, the caterpillars grow very quickly within a month, and the pupal rest is only short-lived.

nomenclature

The German name Ypsiloneule comes from a long-used incorrect spelling of the species name ypsilon . The name originally proposed by the author Johann Siegfried Hufnagel in 1766, however, is ipsilon , which according to the rules of zoological nomenclature may not be changed due to the presumably incorrect spelling. Hence it is called Ypsiloneule in German , but the scientific species name is Agrotis ipsilon .

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Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lists at Science4you
  2. ↑ Arno Bergmann: The large butterflies of Central Germany. Volume 4/1: Owls. Distribution, forms and communities. Urania-Verlag, Jena 1954, DNB 450378373 .
  3. ↑ Fibiger (1990: 89)
  4. ↑ Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .
  5. ↑ George Gordh, Gordon Gordh, and David Headrick: A Dictionary of Entomology. Wallingford, Oxon, CABI Publ., 2009 ISBN 978-1-84593-542-9
  6. ^ DV Alford: Pests of fruit crops: a color handbook. 461 pp., Amsterdam, Academic Press, 2007 ISBN 978-0-12-373676-5

literature

  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 7, Nachtfalter V. Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1997 (Eulen (Noctuidae) 3rd part), ISBN 3-800-13482-9 .
  • Michael Fibiger: Noctuidae Europaeae Volume 1 Noctuinae I. 208 S., Entomological Press, Sorø 1990 ISBN 87-89430-01-8 .
  • Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 .

Web links

Commons : Ypsiloneule  - album with pictures, videos and audio files