Beech tooth spinner

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Beech tooth spinner
Beech tooth spinner (Stauropus fagi), ♂

Beech tooth spinner ( Stauropus fagi ), ♂

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Toothed Moth (Notodontidae)
Subfamily : Heterocampinae
Genre : Stauropus
Type : Beech tooth spinner
Scientific name
Stauropus fagi
( Linnaeus , 1758)
Side view of a male
Front view
Side view of the caterpillar
Caterpillar eating

The beech toothed moth ( Stauropus fagi ) is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of toothed moth (Notodontidae).

features

butterfly

The moths have a wingspan of 45 to 64 millimeters, with an average fore wing length of 27 millimeters. The wing approach of the front wing has a slightly lighter color, they themselves are gray to gray-brown. Two light-colored, jagged cross bars run on them, which are often only indistinctly recognizable. Between these bands, the middle field of the wings is usually a little darker. The hind wings are colored just like the fore wings on the anterior half, on the posterior half they are monochrome gray-brown.

Caterpillars

The caterpillars are up to 60 millimeters long and have an unusual appearance. They are initially dark brown in color and have a slender, elongated physique, later they are red- or gray-brown and have a plump shape. The second and third pair of thoracic legs are greatly elongated and the last three abdominal segments are connected to form a large club-shaped segment that has two curved, probe-like appendages instead of a pusher .

Occurrence

The beech tooth spinner is distributed from the north of the Iberian Peninsula across Europe, east across Russia to East Asia and Japan. The distribution includes in the south all of southern Europe and the Elburs Mountains , in the north the distribution limit runs through the south of Fennoscandia . The species is absent in Europe on the southern Iberian Peninsula, in northern Scandinavia and in the north of the British Isles. The species inhabits alluvial forests and mixed deciduous forests in the lowlands , mixed deciduous forests and above all beech forests in the hilly and mountainous regions. Parks and gardens, as well as fruit trees, are particularly populated in urban areas. The species is absent in the higher mountain regions; in the low mountain ranges, for example, it only occurs up to the high-montane level at around 1000 meters above sea level.

Way of life

The nocturnal animals fold their wings in the rest position like roof tiles and push the hind wings under the forewings so that the part that is colored the same as the top of the forewings protrudes over the front edge of the forewings. This means that only the gray-brown area of ​​the hind wings is covered by the forewings.

Flight and caterpillar times

The moths fly in one generation from mid-April to late May and from early June to August. These two flight maxima are not two generations, but two separately occurring strains of one generation. Depending on the region, the flight times are slightly different, which means that the two tribes sometimes more or less overlap. In good conditions and in warm regions, a real, partial second generation occurs in August. The caterpillars are found from late July to late October.

Food of the caterpillars

The caterpillars feed on the leaves of various deciduous trees and shrubs. They include common beech ( Fagus sylvatica ), hornbeam ( Carpinus betulus ), common hazel ( Corylus avellana ), English oak ( Quercus robur ), silver birch ( Betula pendula ), field maple ( Acer campestre ), red oak ( Quercus rubra ), hawthorn ( Crataegus ), blackthorn ( Prunus spinosa ), blood-red dogwood ( Cornus sanguinea ) and cultivated apple ( Malus domestica ).

development

The older caterpillars show an impressive defense behavior when disturbed. They curve the thickened end of their abdomen over their backs forwards, lift their front bodies upwards and stretch their elongated pairs of legs far out. Young caterpillars have a certain resemblance to large ants and move their appendages when disturbed. Pupation takes place in a dense web between leaves on the ground. The pupa is shiny red-brown and overwinters.

Hazard and protection

The beech tooth spinner is widespread and occurs frequently everywhere and is therefore not at risk.

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Hans-Josef Weidemann, Jochen Köhler: Moths, Spinners and Swarmers . Naturbuch-Verlag, Augsburg 1996, ISBN 3-89440-128-1 , p. 272 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Heiko Bellmann : The new Kosmos butterfly guide, butterflies, caterpillars and forage plants . Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-440-09330-1 , p. 246 .
  3. ^ Günter Ebert: The butterflies of Baden Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 4 . Moths II Bombycidae, Endromidae, Lasiocampidae, Lemoniidae, Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Drepanidae, Notodontidae, Dilobidae, Lymantriidae, Ctenuchidae, Nolidae . Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1994, ISBN 3-8001-3474-8 , pp. 294 .
  4. ^ A b Günter Ebert: The butterflies of Baden Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 4 . Moths II Bombycidae, Endromidae, Lasiocampidae, Lemoniidae, Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Drepanidae, Notodontidae, Dilobidae, Lymantriidae, Ctenuchidae, Nolidae . Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1994, ISBN 3-8001-3474-8 , pp. 295 .
  5. ↑ a b Manfred Koch: We identify butterflies. Volume 2: Bears, Spinners, Swarmers and Drills in Germany. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Radebeul / Berlin 1964, DNB 452481929 , p. 112f.
  6. ^ Günter Ebert: The butterflies of Baden Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 4 . Moths II Bombycidae, Endromidae, Lasiocampidae, Lemoniidae, Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Drepanidae, Notodontidae, Dilobidae, Lymantriidae, Ctenuchidae, Nolidae . Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1994, ISBN 3-8001-3474-8 , pp. 296 .
  7. ^ Günter Ebert: The butterflies of Baden Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 4 . Moths II Bombycidae, Endromidae, Lasiocampidae, Lemoniidae, Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Drepanidae, Notodontidae, Dilobidae, Lymantriidae, Ctenuchidae, Nolidae . Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1994, ISBN 3-8001-3474-8 , pp. 297 .
  8. ^ Günter Ebert: The butterflies of Baden Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 4 . Moths II Bombycidae, Endromidae, Lasiocampidae, Lemoniidae, Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Drepanidae, Notodontidae, Dilobidae, Lymantriidae, Ctenuchidae, Nolidae . Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1994, ISBN 3-8001-3474-8 , pp. 298 .

literature

  • Heiko Bellmann : The new Kosmos butterfly guide. Butterflies, caterpillars and forage plants. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-440-09330-1 .
  • Günter Ebert: The Butterflies of Baden Württemberg Volume 4, Moths II (Bombycidae, Endromidae, Lemoniidae, Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Drepanidae, Notodontidae, Dilobidae, Lymantriidae, Ctenuchidae, Nolidae). Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 1994. ISBN 3-800-13474-8
  • Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 2: Bears, Spinners, Swarmers and Drills in Germany. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Radebeul / Berlin 1964, DNB 452481929 .
  • Hans-Josef Weidemann, Jochen Köhler: Moths, Spinners and Swarmers . Naturbuch-Verlag, Augsburg 1996, ISBN 3-89440-128-1

Web links

Commons : Beech-Toothed Spinner  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files