Beech Frostworm

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Beech Frostworm
Beech Frostworm, male

Beech Frostworm, male

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Spanner (Geometridae)
Subfamily : Larentiinae
Genre : Operophtera
Type : Beech Frostworm
Scientific name
Operophtera fagata
( Scharfenberg , 1805)
Wing underside
Beech frost moth female

The beech winter moth ( Operophtera fagata ) is a butterfly from the family of the tensioner (Geometridae). Like the other Frostworms, it shows a pronounced sexual dimorphism .

description

butterfly

The forewings of the males are whitish-yellow to whitish-gray with several, blackish, slightly toothed transverse lines on the veins. Sometimes there is a darker midline on the forewing. A center line can be seen on the whitish hind wings. There is a clear sexual dimorphism between the sexes . The wings of the females are rudimentary, slightly longer than half the body.

Similar species

  • Small Frostworm ( Operophtera brumata ). The species is smaller and darker than the beech frost moth. The transverse lines on the upper side of the forewing, especially the anterior ones, are less clearly marked in the males and are usually more curved. The outer edge of the wing is also more curved. On the underside of the hind wing there are two transverse lines in Operophtera brumata , but only one transverse line in Operophtera fagata . Due to the overlap in the variability range of both species, a reliable determination is often only possible through a genital examination . The rudimentary wings of the brumata females are short and dark. They have a very pointed apex. In fagata , the light gray rudimentary wings are longer and can be recognized by a distinct dark gray transverse band.

Pre-imaginal stages

The egg hibernates. It is greenish orange with a polygonal network.

The caterpillar has a dirty yellow-green color with whitish side ridges and yellowish side stripes. The head and sternum are black. It lives in May and June on birch and beech trees in a leaf that is woven together.

The pupa is light red-brown, Kremaster short with strongly diverging tips.

Flight time

The beech frost wrench flies in one generation from the beginning of October to the beginning of December.

Occurrence

The beech frost spider is usually not common in Central Europe, but it is widespread in the mountainous regions. In areas with rich stocks of European beech ( Fagus sylvatica ) it can also occur in large numbers . In the north the distribution area extends into northern Fennoscandinavia , in the east and south to Ukraine and Turkey .

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Manfred Koch , Wolfgang Heinicke: We determine butterflies. 3. Edition. Neumann, Radebeul 1991, ISBN 3-7402-0092-8 .

literature

  • Dr. W. Forster and Prof. Dr. Th. A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe , 25th delivery. Franckh'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, 1974
  • Bernard Skinner: Color Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles , Penguin UK 1999, ISBN 0-670-87978-9
  • Hannes Lemme: Population dynamics of the frost wrench Operophtera fagata (Scharfenberg) and Operophtera brumata (Linne). Verlag Eugen Ulmer (2001), ISBN 3-800-14715-7
  • David J. Carter, Brian Hargreaves: Caterpillars and Butterflies of Europe and their Forage Plants. Blackwell Wissenschaftsverlag 1987, ISBN 3-826-38139-4
  • Günter Ebert (Hrsg.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 8, Nachtfalter VI (Spanner (Geometridae) 1st part), Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 2001. ISBN 3-800-13497-7

Web links

Commons : Buchen-Frostspanner  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files