Chrysodeixis argentifera
| Chrysodeixis argentifera | ||||||||||||
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Chrysodeixis argentifera |
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| Chrysodeixis argentifera | ||||||||||||
| ( Guenée , 1852) |
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Chrysodeixis argentifera is in Australia and New Zealand occurring butterfly ( moth ) from the family of cutworms (Noctuidae).
features
butterfly
The moths reach a wingspan of 28 to 32 millimeters. The upper side of the forewing is colored gray-brown. A large, silvery white blemish with a clear constriction stands out in the slightly darkened middle field. A smaller, same-colored S-shaped blemish is located next to the cell . Because of this characteristic, the species is unmistakable. On the inner edge as well as in the basal region there are further small silver-white spots. The inner transverse line is also silvery white and extends from the inner edge to the discoidal transverse artery . The upper side of the hind wing is colored gray-brown and shows a slightly darkened area in front of the outer seam. There is a dense tuft of hair on the head of the butterfly. The body is furry and has other smaller tufts of hair.
Caterpillar
Adult caterpillars are light green in color. They taper towards the head. They show a dark green back line, several very thin whitish side back lines, a wide white side stripe, small black dots on each body segment and some short, thin light gray hairs. The stigmas are oval and whitish in color.
Distribution and occurrence
Chrysodeixis argentifera occurs only in Australia and New Zealand. The habitats include open spaces, meadows, pastures, gardens, arable land and vegetable plantations.
Way of life
The moths mainly fly from September to November. They are nocturnal and visit artificial light sources . The leaves of a large number of different plants serve as a food source for the caterpillars, including sunflowers ( Helianthus annuus ), rape ( Brassica napus ), beets ( Beta vulgaris ), kidney beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris ), tobacco ( Nicotiana ) and tomatoes ( Solanum lycopersicum ). Sometimes the species occurs as an agricultural pest in vegetable growing areas . Food exports such as tomatoes are subject to quarantine regulations and must be approved by the AQIS ( Australian Quarantine Inspection Service ) to ensure crops are free of Chrysodeixis argentifera to prevent this butterfly from spreading to other countries.
Individual evidence
- ↑ flight times
- ↑ Peter T. Bailey: Pests of Field Crops and Pastures: Identification and Control , GSIRO Publishing, 2007, p. 254, ISBN 978-0-643-06758-5
- ^ Tobacco Looper at Australian Wildlife
- ↑ Quarantine regulations
Web links
- Lepiforum e. V. - Taxonomy and photos
- lepidoptera.butterflyhouse - caterpillar