Crown pea butterflies

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Crown pea butterflies
Kronwicken-Dickkopfffalter (Erynnis day)

Kronwicken-Dickkopfffalter ( Erynnis day )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Thick-headed butterfly (Hesperiidae)
Subfamily : Pyrginae
Genre : Erynnis
Type : Crown pea butterflies
Scientific name
Erynnis day
( Linnaeus , 1758)

The Kronwicken Dickkopffalter ( Erynnis tages ) is a butterfly from the family of the Dickkopffalter (Hesperiidae). The specific epithet is derived from Tag, a grandson of Jupiter from Greek mythology .

features

The moths reach a wingspan of 23 to 26 millimeters. They have gray-brown or dark red-brown wings, with several light spots and a row of white spots on the outside. The basic color is a little darker in places. The undersides of the wings are uniformly light brown and show some lighter spots in the postal and marginal regions.

The caterpillars are about 18 millimeters long and are plump and hairless. They are light green in color and have a dark brown head with several yellowish spots. A narrow, not easily recognizable, dark green back line runs on the back. At the end of their development they turn brown.

Variations

  • f. brunnea Tutt upper side variable pale brown
  • f. clarus Caradja top dark brown with a dark, gray-blue overtone. Marking of the upper side variable, indistinct to rich in contrast.
  • f. baynesi Higgins wing tops light brown, contrasting drawing. In the west of Ireland.

Similar species

distribution

The animals are found in Europe , except in the far north, and in almost all of Asia . They live in sunny, dry locations with flowering vegetation, such as B. on dry grass but also on heavily managed pastures. They are more common in higher altitudes.

Way of life

In their resting position they do not fold their wings, like many other thick-headed butterflies, but present them wide open. The moths usually visit flowers near the ground, with yellow flowers playing a major role. The most important nectar plant is trefoil ( Lotus corniculatus ), besides also be horseshoe vetch ( Hippocrepis comosa ) and Ajuga reptans ( Ajuga ) approached. The moths also like to suckle moist soil, dead insects or horse droppings .

Food of the caterpillars

The caterpillar forage plants include common horn clover ( Lotus corniculatus ), swamp horn clover ( Lotus uliginosus ), horseshoe clover ( Hippocrepis comosa ) and red vetch ( Coronilla varia ).

Flight times

The species flies in one generation per year from late April to mid-June. In warmer areas and favorable years, they fly in two generations from early April to early June and from late June to late August.

development

The females lay their eggs on top of the leaves of their forage plants. The eggs are clearly ribbed lengthways and finely across. Freshly laid, these are initially yolk yellow, later colored red and then transparent. After hatching, the caterpillars build a dwelling from two, later from several superimposed leaves. They feed in this housing and rest in a hook-shaped posture. In optimal years, they pupate in their hiding place by the end of June and then form the second generation in summer. The second generation also develops completely, but hibernates as a caterpillar in the hibernaculum . Pupation then takes place in early spring. In bad conditions, the first generation hibernates as a caterpillar.

Hazard and protection

Red list FRG: V (on the warning list) They are still widespread and frequent, but their populations are declining in places.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Arnold Spuler: The butterflies of Europe . tape 1 . E. Schweitzerbartsche Verlagbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1908, p. 77 .
  2. ↑ a b c d Heiko Bellmann : The new cosmos butterfly guide. Butterflies, caterpillars and forage plants. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-440-09330-1 , p. 108.
  3. ↑ a b Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: Die Tagfalter Europäische und Nordwestafrikas , p. 267, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-440-07573-7
  4. ↑ Günter Ebert, Erwin Rennwald: The butterflies of Baden Württemberg Volume 2, Tagfalter II (Augenfalter (Satyridae), Bläulinge (Lycaenidae), Dickkopffalter (Hesperiidae)), Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1993. ISBN 3-8001-3459-4
  5. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 978-3-89624-110-8

literature

Web links

Commons : Kronwicken-Dickkopffalter  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files