Beech forest autumn moth
| Beech forest autumn moth | ||||||||||||
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Beech forest moth ( Epirrita christyi ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Epirrita christyi | ||||||||||||
| ( Allen , 1906) |
The beech forest autumn moth ( Epirrita christyi ), also known as the gray beech autumn moth or small autumn moth , is a butterfly from the family of the spanners (Geometridae).
description
butterfly
The moths usually reach a wingspan of 25 to 30 millimeters. The basic color of the forewings is predominantly pale brown-gray. Cross lines and ties are darkened, sometimes blurred, blurred or interrupted. In newly hatched specimens, the blackish veins stand out more clearly. The center is very small. The outer boundary line of the central field runs at a right angle around the center. The hind wings are whitish in color.
egg
The egg is shiny green at first and later turns reddish in color.
Caterpillar
Adult caterpillars are green or brown in color and have a reddish-brown, faded markings on the back, whitish secondary lines and black side stripes.
Doll
The brown-red colored, compact doll has two diverging tips on the slender cremaster .
Similar species
The beech forest autumn moths are very similar to the birch moor forest autumn moths ( Epirrita autumnata ) and the woodland autumn moths ( Epirrita dilutata ), which, however, usually both have much larger wingspans (30 to 40 or 35 to 44 millimeters). Epirrita autumnata also often shows more clearly pronounced bands and a silvery overdust. Specimens from higher Alpine regions are usually very dark. In Epirrita dilutata , the outer boundary line of the midfield normally runs in an arc around the center. However, there are sometimes overlaps and borderline cases for all of the above-mentioned distinguishing features. A genital morphological examination is therefore advisable for a reliable determination .
Geographical distribution and occurrence
The distribution area of the species extends from Spain and the British Isles to the Balkans , in the north to Fennoscandinavia , in the south to the northern Mediterranean (excluding islands) and in the east to the Ukraine , Transcaucasia and Armenia . The main habitat are beech and sycamore forests as well as high forest moors.
Way of life
The beech forest autumn moth flies in one generation from mid-September to the end of November. The nocturnal moths also appear in artificial light sources . The caterpillars live in May and June. They feed on the leaves of various deciduous trees, including red beech ( Fagus sylvatica ), purple willow ( Salix purpurea ), sal willow ( Salix caprea ), silver birch ( Betula pendula ), sycamore maple ( Acer pseudoplatanus ) and elm ( Ulmus ). The egg is hibernating.
Danger
The species is widespread in the German federal states and is listed as not endangered on the Red List of Endangered Species .
swell
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 5: Spanner. (Geometridae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-440-04951-5 .
- ↑ a b 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 .
- ↑ Manfred Koch , Wolfgang Heinicke, Bernd Müller: We determine butterflies. Volume 4: Spanner. 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1976, DNB 780451570 .
- ↑ 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
- Lepiforum eV photos
- Butterflies-Deutschlands.de endangerment
- Epirrita christyi at Fauna Europaea. Retrieved October 4, 2011