Cyclophora (butterfly)

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Cyclophora
Dotted oak belt puppet wrench (Cyclophora punctaria)

Dotted oak belt puppet wrench
( Cyclophora punctaria )

Systematics
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Superfamily : Geometroidea
Family : Spanner (Geometridae)
Subfamily : Sterrhinae
Tribe : Cosymbiini
Genre : Cyclophora
Scientific name
Cyclophora
Huebner , 1822

Cyclophora is a species-rich genus from the butterfly family of Spanner (Geometridae). There are around 12 species in German-speaking countries. Completely unusual for the family of tensioners, a belt dummy is formedduring development.

features

butterfly

The wingspan of the European species ranges from 20 to 30 millimeters. Both pairs of wings show white discal spots, which are sometimes still outlined dark. The wing tips are often pointed, the terms angled, but also rounded. In the veining of the fore wing, the areole is located below the cell apex. the vein R1 is clearly stalked, the veins R2 to 4 and R5 emanate from the areole. The discocellular veins of all wings are straight. The proboscis is well developed, but mostly short at three to four millimeters.

A seasonal dimorphism can often be observed between the first and second generation, whereby the adults of the second generation are often somewhat smaller than the adults of the first. Some species also show a low level of sexual dimorphism .

Egg, caterpillar and pupa

The eggs are usually elongated. The caterpillars are relatively slender, and there are often two color morphs. The doll is unusual for Spanner a belt doll , which is attached to leaves and branches of the food trees.

distribution and habitat

Most of the species in the genus are hygrophilic , i.e. i.e., they prefer humid habitats. In the narrower version of the genus, the distribution is Holarctic .

Phenology and way of life

The species in the genus are usually bivoltine , i.e. that is, two generations are trained per year. In contrast, in climatically unfavorable areas (e.g. Northern Europe), only one generation of the species occurring there is formed. The caterpillars mostly feed on the leaves of deciduous trees, more rarely on conifers. The Central European species overwinter as a pupa.

Systematics

The genus contains around 60 species in the traditional sense, the concept of the genus is also understood in this way. In a broader concept that also includes the Neotropical and Indo-Pacific species of the genus Anisodes , the genus contains 274 species. 15 species occur in Europe and on the Atlantic islands of Madeira and the Azores . In the German-speaking area there are still 12 species.

The species are divided into three species groups, the pendularia group, the porata group and the punctaria group. The type species of the genus is Phalaena albipunctata Hufnagel, 1767. The species of the genus are z. Some of them are still very closely related. Several species can produce hybrids with one another, especially in breeding . However, with such “miscopulations” often only some of the eggs are fertile. The close relationship is attributed to a recent radiation of the group.

Danger

Some species of the genus are considered endangered or even threatened with extinction in Germany, so. z. B. the gray belt puppet tensioner ( Cyclophora pendularia ) or the yellow-red oak belt puppet tensioner ( Cyclophora quercimontaria ).

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b after Lepiforum
  2. ↑ Hausmann, p 394ff.

literature

  • Axel Hausmann: The Geometrid moths of Europe, 2nd Sterrhinae. In A. Hausmann (Ed.): The Geometrid Moths of Europe 2. Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2004, ISBN 87-88757-37-4
  • Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 5: Spanner. (Geometridae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-440-04951-5 .
  • Günter Ebert (Hrsg.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 8, Nachtfalter VI (Spanner (Geometridae) 1st part), Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 2001. ISBN 3-800-13497-7

Web links

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