Mountain forest ground owl

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Mountain forest ground owl
Xestia speciosa.jpg

Mountain forest ground owl ( Xestia speciosa )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Noctuinae
Genre : Xestia
Type : Mountain forest ground owl
Scientific name
Xestia speciosa
( Huebner , 1813)

The mountain forest ground owl ( Xestia speciosa ), also called blueberry moorland owl , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae).

features

butterfly

The range of variation in the coloring of the forewings of the moths is extraordinarily large. Between almost white and almost black specimens, all the shades of gray in between appear, which develop depending on the geographical location or climatic conditions. The often circular, white-rimmed flaws stand out conspicuously. Cross and wavy lines are toothed, but occasionally indistinct. The hind wings are gray-white in color and show a distinctive central spot. The main characteristics of the following subspecies are:

  • gray-white to dark-gray basic color in the nominate form ssp, which occurs in the Harz Mountains . speciosa (Hübner, 1813), which has a wingspan of 38 to 50 millimeters,
  • a darker and more indistinct drawing on the Nordic ssp, which is smaller with a wingspan of 36 to 45 millimeters. arctica (Zetterstedt, 1839) and
  • a tending to brown color in the ssp widespread in the Alps . modesta (Warnecke, 1962).

Investigations into whether further subspecies mentioned occasionally are really fully valid subspecies should still be carried out.

Egg, caterpillar

The egg is hemispherical, wavy ribbed and colored yellowish white. Before hatching, it takes on an orange tint. The caterpillars have a reddish-colored back, which is also marbled brown and also shows some oblique fork lines. Back, side back and side lines shimmer whitish. The ventral side is greenish in color.

Similar species

There is a similarity to Xestia sincera as well as to Xestia rhaetica . In these two types, however, brownish tones predominate in the drawing. The flaws are also more oval shaped. Xestia viridescens is also very similar , often showing a slightly greenish tinge on the forewings. In borderline cases, a genital morphological examination is nevertheless advisable for a clear assignment.

Distribution and occurrence

The species occurs in northern Europe, so in Fennoscandinavia , the Baltic States , parts of Russia and further through North Asia to the Pacific including Japan . In central and southern Europe it can be found in various mountain ranges and low mountain ranges. It is also found in the northwest of North America . The mountain forest ground owl prefers mixed and coniferous forests with blueberry vegetation and raised bogs .

Way of life

The nocturnal moths fly in one generation per year from June to August. They visit artificial light sources as well as bait . The caterpillars can be found from August and overwinter twice. They feed on various low plants, these include:

and other.

Danger

The mountain forest floor owl is rarely found in Germany only in a few federal states and is listed in category 2 (severely endangered) on the Red List of Endangered Species .

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Michael Fibiger: Noctuinae II . In: WG Tremewan (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . 1st edition. tape 2 . Entomological Press, Sorø 1993, ISBN 87-89430-02-6 (English).
  2. ↑ Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .
  3. ^ Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 7 . Moth V Noctuidae 3rd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1998, ISBN 3-8001-3500-0 .
  4. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .

literature

  • Michael Fibiger: Noctuinae II . In: WG Tremewan (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . 1st edition. tape 2 . Entomological Press, Sorø 1993, ISBN 87-89430-02-6 (English).
  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 7 . Moth V Noctuidae 3rd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1998, ISBN 3-8001-3500-0 .
  • Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .

Web links

Commons : Bergwald-Bodeneule ( Xestia speciosa )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files