Beech fork tail
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Beech forktail ( Furcula furcula ), ♂ |
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| Furcula furcula | ||||||||||||
| ( Clerck , 1759) |
The beech fork tail or willow fork tail ( Furcula furcula ) is a butterfly ( moth ) from the tooth moth family (Notodontidae).
features
The moths reach a wingspan of 27 to 35 millimeters. Their forewings have a light gray base color. They wear a dominant, wide, dark gray band around the middle of the wings, with black and orange edges on both sides, but clearly stronger towards the front. The back edge of this bandage is waved at an angle, so that it tapers towards the middle of the body when viewed from above. The band is followed by several dark, jagged bands and one thin orange band. These run in exactly the opposite direction, so that a light gray triangle with a black spot in the middle forms between them and the rear edge of the gray bandage. On the leading edge of the wing behind the serrated bands there is a dark gray field on both sides. Black, round spots run along the outer edge of the wing. Other spots can also be found near the base of the wings. The thorax is white in front, and black and orange on top. These black areas and the front edge of the gray band also shimmer in a metallic blue. The rest of the thorax and the black legs are strong and dense, with light gray hair.
The caterpillars are about 40 to 50 millimeters long. They are colored light green and have a brown, yellow-edged back markings that run triangular in the middle of the body to the side of the body. There is a brown spot on the back on the head and also on the end of the abdomen, which is pointed and long. Most often the front spot is connected to the large one in the middle of the body.
Similar species
- Birch forktail ( Furcula bicuspis ) (Borkhausen, 1790)
- Small fork tail ( Furcula bifida ) (Brahm, 1787)
Occurrence
The animals occur in Europe and Asia Minor , in the Mediterranean area they are rare or absent. Among other things, they live in moors , heather areas , mixed forests and parks.
Way of life
Flight and caterpillar times
The moths fly in mostly one, sometimes two generations from mid-May to late June. The caterpillars are found from July to September.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on aspen ( Populus tremula ), sal willow ( Salix caprea ), ear willow ( Salix aurita ), red beech ( Fagus sylvatica ) and birch ( Betula spec.).
development
The females lay their eggs in groups of two to three on top of the leaves of their forage plants. The hibernation takes place as a pupa , which can be found in a bark cocoon at the base of the forage plants or in cracks in the bark. The cocoons are made of gnawed wood and are very strong.
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Hans-Josef Weidemann, Jochen Köhler: Moth. Weirdos and hawkers. Naturbuch-Verlag, Augsburg 1996, ISBN 3-89440-128-1 , p. 266 ff.
- ↑ Manfred Koch : We identify butterflies. Volume 2: Bears, Spinners, Swarmers and Drills in Germany. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Radebeul / Berlin 1964, DNB 452481929 , p. 111 f.
Web links
- Lepiforum e. V. Taxonomy and Photos
- www.schmetterling-raupe.de
- Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa (English)
- Ian Kimber: Guide to the moths of Great Britain and Ireland (English)
- Furcula furcula in Fauna Europaea