Chi owl

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Chi owl
Antitype chi - top (aka) .jpg

Chi owl ( antitype chi )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Xyleninae
Genre : Antitype
Type : Chi owl
Scientific name
Antitype chi
( Linnaeus , 1758)
Chi owl caterpillar

The chi owl ( Antitype chi ), also called gray owl or saudistel stone owl , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae).

features

butterfly

With a wingspan of 32 to 40 millimeters, the moths are among the medium-sized owl butterflies. The basic color of the forewings varies in different shades of gray and ranges from white-gray to silver-gray and dark-gray to green-gray. Kidney and ring flaws are great. They don't stand out very much from the ground. In the middle of the wing there is a black sign that is similar in shape to the letter Chi from the Greek alphabet and is responsible for the naming of the species. Black arrow spots can be seen near the hem. The light transverse lines are clearly visible in the darker-colored specimens. Male specimens show almost pure white hind wings, the females, however, gray. A dark central spot on the hind wings is also characteristic of both sexes.

Egg, caterpillar, pupa

The egg has a hemispherical shape and a yellow color with red dots. It is provided with strong ribs. Before the caterpillars hatch, it changes color from orange-yellow to dark brown.

Adult caterpillars are grass-green in color and show thin white dorsal and side dorsal lines as well as a wide white lateral stripe that is darkly bordered at the top. The white stigmas are outlined in black. The head is small.

The shiny, slim doll is colored reddish-brown and has a button-shaped cremaster with two fine thorns .

Similar species

Because of the characteristic chi sign, the moths can be easily distinguished from other species.

distribution and habitat

The distribution of the species covers almost all of Europe. It is only missing in the south of Spain and Greece and in the northernmost part of Fennos Scandinavia. It is also found in North and Central Asia, but not in Japan. The animals occurring in the Far East are called ssp. called subcaerulea . In the Alps , the nominate form can still be found up to an altitude of about 2000 meters. The animals are mainly to be found in bog and heathland areas, in forests, on stream banks as well as on semi-arid grasslands and in settlement areas.

Way of life

The main flight time of the nocturnal moths are the months August to October. They like to visit artificial light sources and baits . Sometimes they have also been observed on the flowers of the butterfly lilac ( Buddleja davidii ). During the day, they often rest on tree trunks, masts or wooden fences. A large number of different plants are named as forage plants for the caterpillars, which live from May to August, for example rush ( Juncus effusus ) as well as heather ( Erica ), dock ( Rumex ), honeysuckle ( Lonicera ), lettuce ( Lactuca ), willowherb - ( Epilobium ), bedstraw - ( Galium ), knapweed - ( Centaurea ) and species of catchweed ( Silene ). The caterpillars were also found on goose thistles ( Sonchus ), also popularly known as "Saudi thistles ". The name "Saudistel stone owl", which was occasionally used in the past, is derived from this. The species overwinters as an egg.

Danger

The chi owl can be found in large numbers in many German federal states and is classified as not endangered on the red list of endangered species .

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Lázló Ronkay, José Luis Yela & Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae II . In: Michael Fibiger, Martin Honey (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . tape 5 . Entomological Press, Sorø 2001, ISBN 87-89430-06-9 (English).
  2. ↑ a b c Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .
  3. ↑ a b Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 6 . Moth IV. Noctuidae 2nd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9 .
  4. ↑ Arno Bergmann: The large butterflies of Central Germany. Volume 4/1: Owls. Distribution, forms and communities. Urania-Verlag, Jena 1954, DNB 450378373 .
  5. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .

literature

  • Lázló Ronkay, José Luis Yela & Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae II . In: Michael Fibiger, Martin Honey (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . tape 5 . Entomological Press, Sorø 2001, ISBN 87-89430-06-9 (English).
  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 6 . Moth IV. Noctuidae 2nd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9 .

Web links

Commons : Chi Owl  - Collection of images, videos and audio files