Catocalinae

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Catocalinae
Red ribbon (Catocalina nupta)

Red ribbon ( Catocalina nupta )

Systematics
Superordinate : New winged wing (Neoptera)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Subordination : Glossata
Superfamily : Noctuoidea
Family : Erebidae
Subfamily : Catocalinae
Scientific name
Catocalinae
Boisduval , 1828

The catocalinae are a subfamily of butterflies ( moths ) from the family of Erebidae . Over 10,000 species are known worldwide. In Europe there are only about 96 species, in Central Europe a little over 30 species. They are mostly relatively large, mostly nocturnal moths with mostly very colored hind wings and mostly inconspicuous forewings.

features

The species in this subfamily are usually relatively large. The European species are on the order of 22 to 98 mm wingspan. The hind wings are often prominently colored, while the forewings are mostly inconspicuous black, gray or brown. However, there are also a few exceptions (e.g. Ophiusa tirhaca with striking yellow forewings ). Goater et al. (2003) list three autapomorphies that justify this group as a monophylum:

  • Hind wing with a terminal black spot and fringes between the M3 and Cu1 veins of the wing veins
  • In the female genital apparatus, the posterior apophyses are rod-shaped or basal only slightly wider, without the usually flat diamond-shaped basal structure near the ovipositor.

There are also a few features that are not present in all groups:

  • the wings are kept flat in the rest position
  • colored and / or patterned hind wings
  • a quadrifid veining of the hind wings
  • a flake-free field directly above the proboscis
  • as well as five other characteristics in the male and female genital apparatus

Geographical distribution and habitat

The subfamily Catocalinae is distributed worldwide; the main focus of the distribution is in the tropics and subtropics . Some species migrate over longer distances, and therefore subtropical species can sometimes be found in Europe. Due to the large geographical distribution and the huge number of species, a wide range of habitats are populated, ranging from dry deserts and semi-deserts to tropical rainforests.

Way of life

Due to the large geographical distribution, some species form only one generation per year, other species several generations. The moths are mostly nocturnal. However, there are also some species that are also diurnal, such as the brown day owl ( Euclidia glyphica ) and the check day owl ( Callistege mi ). The moths ingest food and can therefore be baited . As a rule, you also come across artificial light sources. There is also a very wide range of host plants due to their large geographical distribution, diverse habitats and large number of species. However, this does not apply to the individual species, which are sometimes even monophagous .

Systematics

The subfamily Catocalinae originally comprised all "quadrifine" Noctuids. However, this characteristic is original and cannot be used to define the group. Only Goater, Ronkay and Fibiger managed to find three characteristics in 2003 that are to be assessed as apomorphic and can therefore be used to detect monophyly. However, some groups had to be excluded in this version. The Calpinae, which were previously often brought here, are regarded as an independent subfamily. The following list of the genera and species occurring in Europe is Goater et al. (2003) taken. Some non-European species are added.

swell

literature

  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The Butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 5, Moths III (Sesiidae, Arctiidae, Noctuidae). Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1997. ISBN 3-8001-3481-0
  • Barry Goater, Lázló Ronkay, Michael Fibiger: Catocalinae & Plusiinae. Noctuidae Europaeae, Volume 10., Sorø, 2003, ISBN 87-89430-08-5

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Schanowski, Ebert, Hofmann and Axel Steiner in Ebert (eds.), P. 441
  2. ↑ Goater et al., 2003

Web links

Commons : Catocalinae  - collection of images, videos and audio files