Asterocampa clyton
| Asterocampa clyton | ||||||||||||
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Asterocampa clyton |
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| Asterocampa clyton | ||||||||||||
| ( Boisduval & Le Conte , 1835) |
Asterocampa Clyton is a butterfly ( butterfly ) from the family of Nymphalidae (Nymphalidae).
features
butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is 42 to 70 millimeters. Large specimens are always females. The upper sides of the forewings are usually brown-orange to maroon-brown and have a pattern of yellowish cube spots , especially in the darker post-disk and submarginal regions . One eye spot is missing. Two short black horizontal stripes can be seen in the disk region , beginning at the front edge . The upper side of the hind wing is slightly darker in color and has several black eye-spots with an orange border. The undersides of the wings are much lighter in color and have a similar pattern of spots as the upper sides.
egg
The eggs are yellow to yellow-green in color.
Caterpillar
Adult caterpillars are colored light green on the sides and have a yellow back, from which thin green back and side back lines stand out. They can vary in color regionally. The entire body is covered with thin, short hairs, at the base of which there are small white dots. The end of the body ends in two short points. The head is green or brown and has light vertical stripes and two heavily branched fork horns.
Doll
The dolls are designed as falling dolls , light green to blue-green in color and equipped with a yellow back line and two tips.
Similar species
Asterocampa celtis has a predominantly gray-brown appearance. The two black horizontal stripes on the front edge are weaker or missing. The main distinguishing feature is an eye spot on the upper side of the forewing near the interior corner .
distribution and habitat
The species occurs in North America. Their main distribution area extends from northeast Mexico over the southeast, the east and the middle of the USA to the southeast of Canada . The animals prefer to live in wooded areas on the edge of rivers and in parks.
Behavior and way of life
The moths like to suckle on overripe fruits, sometimes also on injured trees, damp places in the earth, carrion and excrement , but very rarely on flowers. Continuous generations are formed in the southern US states, but only one or two generations per year further north. The eggs are laid in groups of 200 to 500 on the back of the leaves of young food plants, and occasionally on the bark. Young caterpillars are sociable. They feed on the leaves of various nettle tree species ( Celtis ), including the American nettle tree ( Celtis occidentalis ), the smooth-leaved nettle tree ( Celtis laevigata ), Celtis tenuifolia , Celtis lindheimeri and Celtis reticulata . The hibernating caterpillars make a hibernarium in which they stay in small groups.
Subspecies
In addition to the nominate form Asterocampa clyton clyton , which occurs in Canada and the east of the USA , other subspecies are known:
- Asterocampa clyton flora Edwards , 1876, ( Florida , Georgia )
- Asterocampa clyton louisa Stallings & Turner , 1947, (south texas , mexico )
- Asterocampa clyton texana Skinner , 1911, (Texas, New Mexico , Arizona )
swell
Individual evidence
- ^ [1] Butterflies and Moths of North America
- ↑ [2] head of the caterpillar
- ↑ a b c James A. Scott: The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History and Field Guide. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1986, ISBN 0-8047-2013-4 , pp. 256/257
- ↑ [3] Development cycle
- ↑ [4] Distribution and subspecies
literature
- James A. Scott (1986): The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History and Field Guide. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-2013-4 , pp. 256/257
Web links
- eol.org - Encyclopedia of Life