Blackberry leaf tensioner

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Blackberry leaf tensioner
Mesoleuca albicillata.jpg

Blackberry leaf tensioner ( Mesoleuca albicillata )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Spanner (Geometridae)
Subfamily : Larentiinae
Genre : Mesoleuca
Type : Blackberry leaf tensioner
Scientific name
Mesoleuca albicillata
( Linnaeus , 1758)

The blackberry leaf strainer ( Mesoleuca albicillata ), also called raspberry leaf strainer , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the strainers (Geometridae).

features

butterfly

The wingspan of the moth ranges from 30 to 38 millimeters. The basic color of the forewings is creamy white to bright white. The root field is markedly black-brown in color. In the same color, a large spot on the front edge stands out behind the middle almost to the apex . There is also a double gray, outer transverse line, a white wavy line in the gray fringe area and a very small black discal spot. The hind wings are white, have a gray fringe, which is traversed by an indistinct whitish wavy line and reveal a thin, dark transverse line and a small black central spot.

Caterpillar

Adult caterpillars are bright green in color. On the back they show very distinctive yellow-brown to red-brown arrow spots.

Similar species

  • The brown bandage leaf tensioner ( Catarhoe cuculata ) is significantly smaller with a wingspan of 22 to 27 millimeters and also shows red-brown drawing elements in the root and fringing area.
  • In the petrel ( Melanthia procellata ) the dark root field is smaller, the front edge shows a narrow dark stripe and the large dark central spot is more extensive than in albicillata .

Geographical distribution and occurrence

The blackberry leaf tensioner is widespread from Spain across Western and Central Europe including the British Isles through the temperate zone to East Asia. In northern Europe you can find it as far as central Fennoscandinavia , in the south over Italy to the Balkans and the Black Sea . The species prefers to inhabit light forests, forest edges, protection areas, forewoods, floodplains, riparian areas as well as gardens and parks.

Way of life

The nocturnal moths usually fly in two generations from late April to late June and in July and August. Individual specimens can still be found in October, which may belong to a third generation. During the day the moths sometimes rest on tree trunks. Because of their similarity in color to bird droppings, they are largely protected from predators ( mimetic ) despite the conspicuous black and white drawing . They appear at night in artificial light sources . The leaves of blackberries ( Rubus fruticosus ), raspberries ( Rubus idaeus ), blackthorn ( Prunus spinosa ) and wild rose species ( Rosa ) are among the food of the caterpillars . The species overwinters as a pupa .

Danger

The blackberry leaf tensioner occurs in all German federal states and is listed on the red list of endangered species as not endangered.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 8 . Moth VI. Spanner (Geometridae) 1st part. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3497-7 .
  2. ↑ Manfred Koch , Wolfgang Heinicke, Bernd Müller: We determine butterflies. Volume 4: Spanner. 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1976, DNB 780451570 .
  3. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .

literature

  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 8 . Moth VI. Spanner (Geometridae) 1st part. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3497-7 .

Web links

Commons : Blackberry Leaf Tensioner  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files