Dark gray corner wing tensioner
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Dark gray corner wing wrench ( Macaria alternata ) |
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| Macaria alternata | ||||||||||||
| ( Denis & Schiffermüller , 1775) |
The dark gray corner wing wrench ( Macaria alternata , Syn .: Semiothisa alternaria ) is a butterfly from the family of the wrench (Geometridae). The species name is derived from the Latin word alternus with the meaning "one after the other" and refers to the similarity with the light gray corner wing spanner ( Macaria notata ), which is adjacent in the nomenclature .
features
butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is 22 to 30 millimeters. There is no sexual dimorphism between the sexes . The outer edge of the forewings is strongly concave in the upper third below the apex and has black fringes. All wings have a dark gray basic color and are provided with fine, more or less pronounced brown horizontal lines. On the front edge and next to the cell , large black spots stand out, which are connected by a blue-gray band. This band continues on the hind wings, which also show tail-like elongated tips at the anal angle .
Caterpillar
Adult caterpillars are greenish to brownish in color. Triangular red-brown spots stand out on the sides.
Similar species
In the overall lighter colored light gray corner wing spanner ( Macaria notata ), the dark band on the upper side of the forewing is only weakly developed and is usually completely absent on the upper side of the hind wing. The outer edge of the forewings is only slightly concave in the upper third below the apex and has brown fringes. The dark spot next to the cell is usually larger than that of Macaria alternata .
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the dark gray corner wing spanner extends through Europe, including the British Isles to the Amur . In the north, the occurrence extends beyond the Arctic Circle . The main habitat are light deciduous forests and spas as well as bushy moors and heaths. In the northern and central alps the species rises to an altitude of 1,300 meters, in the southern alps to an altitude of 1,600 meters.
Way of life
The moths are mainly nocturnal and fly in two generations from April to September. Sometimes the generations overlap. At night the moths appear in artificial light sources , mostly the males. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of various plants, such as willow species ( Salix ), birch ( Betula pendula ), English oak ( Quercus robur ), black cherry ( Prunus padus ), sloe ( Prunus spinosa ), buckthorn ( Rhamnus frangula ), sea buckthorn ( Hippophae rhamnoides ) or buckthorn ( Rhamnus ). They were also found on flat peas ( Lathyrus ) and swamp porst ( Rhododendron tomentosum ). The species overwinters in the second generation in the pupal stage .
Individual evidence
- ^ Arnold Spuler: The butterflies of Europe , Volume 2, E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, 1910, p. 97
- ↑ a b c Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. 1st edition. Volume 9. Moths VII. Geometridae 2nd part. 1 Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim), 2003, ISBN 3-8001-3279-6 , pp. 318-321
- ↑ dissemination
- ↑ Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 5: Spanner. (Geometridae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-440-04951-5 , p. 223
- ↑ flight times
- ↑ Manfred Koch , Wolfgang Heinicke, Bernd Müller: We determine butterflies. Volume 4: Spanner. 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1976, DNB 780451570 , pp. 214/215
- ↑ Ernst and Herta Urbahn: The butterflies of Pomerania with a comparative overview of the Baltic Sea region , Entomological Association of Stettin, Stettin 1939
Web links
- Lepiforum e. V. - Taxonomy and photos
- natur-schmetterlinge.ch - nature butterflies
- ukmoths - Sharp-angled Peacock at UKmoths
- kolumbus.fi - caterpillar
- fauna-eu.org - Fauna Europaea