Blue-gray stone owl

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Blue-gray stone owl
Polymixis xanthomista.jpg

Blue-gray stone owl ( Polymixis xanthomista )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Xyleninae
Genre : Polymixis
Type : Blue-gray stone owl
Scientific name
Polymixis xanthomista
( Huebner , 1819)

The blue-gray stone owl ( Polymixis xanthomista ), also called Felsbuschhalden gray owl , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae).

features

butterfly

With a wingspan of 37 to 44 millimeters, the moths are among the medium-sized owl butterflies. The females are significantly larger and darker than the males. The basic color of the forewings varies in different shades of gray and ranges from white-gray to blue-gray to anthracite-gray. Sometimes there are orange colored over-dusts. The color of the subsoil in the respective area is decisive for the coloration of the moths. The scattered orange colored scales serve as camouflage when resting on stones or rocks overgrown with lichen of the same color. Kidney and ring flaws are always lighter and often have a small, black point in the center. The middle shadow stands out dark. In the male specimens, the hind wings are almost pure white, in the females they are gray-brown in color.

Egg, caterpillar, pupa

The carmine egg has a hemispherical shape and is decorated with wavy ribs.

Younger caterpillars are green in color and show a whitish side stripe. The adult animals have a brown base color with a slightly dark grain. The lower area is a little lighter and shows white stigmas .

The doll is shiny red-brown in color and has a button-shaped cremaster with two points .

Similar species

In the yellowish stone owl ( Polymixis flavicincta ), as a rule, line-shaped, yellowish instead of orange-colored, punctiform over-dusting predominate on the mostly paler and less contrasting front wings.

distribution and habitat

The distribution of the nominate form xanthomista ranges from North Africa across western southern Europe and further east to Romania , Hungary and Slovenia . In the Alps it can still be found up to an altitude of about 2000 meters. The animals are mainly found in rocky areas such as scree slopes, quarries, vineyards and limestone slopes. In Great Britain the ssp. statices .

Way of life

The moths are nocturnal and live from late August to mid-October. They like to visit artificial light sources . A large number of different plants are named as fodder plants for the caterpillars, which live from May to August, for example plantain ( Plantago ), dandelion ( Taraxacum ), mullein ( Verbascum ), dock ( Rumex ), or honeysuckle species ( Lonicera ) and bird cherry ( Prunus) padus ). The species overwinters as an egg.

Danger

The blue-gray stone owl is absent in many, especially in the northern German federal states, and is included on the red list of endangered species on the warning list.

Systematics

The type is very variable; but within Europe no further subspecies are given with the exception of the population in England. In contrast, the traits are stable in different populations in Northwest Africa; H. the following seven subspecies are currently recognized:

  • Polymixis xanthomista xanthomista (Hübner, 1819), from North Africa through western southern Europe to Romania
  • Polymixis xanthomista statices Gregson, 1869, UK
  • Polymixis xanthomista lutea swing shot, 1963, Morocco
  • Polymixis xanthomista hadenina Rungs, 1972, Morocco
  • Polymixis xanthomista rmadia Rungs, 1967, Morocco
  • Polymixis xanthomista meftouha Rungs, 1967, Morocco
  • Polymixis xanthomista chehebia Rungs, 1972, Morocco

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Lázló Ronkay, José Luis Yela & Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae II . In: Michael Fibiger, Martin Honey (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . tape 5 . Entomological Press, Sorø 2001, ISBN 87-89430-06-9 (English).
  2. ^ A b 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 6 . Moth IV. Noctuidae 2nd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9 .
  4. ↑ Manfred Koch : We identify butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 .
  5. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .

literature

  • Lázló Ronkay, José Luis Yela & Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae II . In: Michael Fibiger, Martin Honey (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . tape 5 . Entomological Press, Sorø 2001, ISBN 87-89430-06-9 (English).
  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 6 . Moth IV. Noctuidae 2nd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9 .

Web links

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