Eudonia mercurella

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Eudonia mercurella
Eudonia mercurella

Eudonia mercurella

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Crambidae
Subfamily : Scopariinae
Genre : Eudonia
Type : Eudonia mercurella
Scientific name
Eudonia mercurella
Linnaeus , 1758

Eudonia mercurella is a butterfly from the family of Crambidae .

features

The front wings of the moth are about six to 8.5 millimeters long and have a gray base color. The root field is gray. The inner midline is white and lined with black towards the midfield. The antemedial spot is black and line-shaped. The distal ring-shaped spot is shaped like an "X" and does not touch the outer transverse line. The latter forms a clearly visible “X” together with the wavy line. The retinaculum of the male moth does not have a sclerotized hook-shaped process (hamus). Specimens from calcareous soils are markedly paler and less contrasty. In some specimens, the front middle field and the fringe field are gray-white, while the middle field is grayish black. This form was to their area of distribution, the Isle of Portland , portlandica called. The uncus of the male genitals is clearly notched distally . The corpus bursae is spherical, the signum is small and ovate and lanceolate. The ductus bursae runs in two turns, the colliculum - a small hilly elevation - is long and narrow, the antrum is narrow and elongated.

Subspecies

  • Eudonia mercurella puella (Leraut, 1982)

Similar species

A similar species is Eudonia lacustrata , which differs from Eudonia mercurella by the interrupted wavy line that forms a wide white spot at the wing tip (apex). Another distinguishing feature of the females is the ventrodistal cusp of the valves . Furthermore, Eudonia mercurella externally resembles Eudonia speideli and pale specimens of Eudonia Liebmani .

Occurrence

Eudonia mercurella is widespread in Europe and inhabits both the plains and the mountains. The moths live in bushy locations and light forests.

Outside Europe, the species occurs in northwest Africa , in Turkey in the Taurus Mountains , in Lebanon and in Iran in the Elburs Mountains and in the Sardab Valley up to altitudes of 1,400 meters.

Way of life

The oligophageous caterpillars feed on mosses such as Isothecium alopecuroides and cypress dormouse ( Hypnum cupressiforme ) as well as on lichens , whereby webs are created.

Flight and caterpillar times

The moths fly in Central Europe from mid-April to August.

Systematics

The following synonyms for Eudonia mercurella are known from the literature :

  • Phalaena Tinea mercurella Linnaeus, 1758.
  • Eudorea portlandica Humphreys & Westwood, 1841.
  • Eudorea frequentella Stainton, 1849.
  • Eudorea concinnella Curtis, 1850.
  • Eudonia mercurella puella Leraut, 1982.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Barry Goater, Matthias Nuss, Wolfgang Speidel: Pyraloidea I (Crambidae, Acentropinae, Evergestinae, Heliothelinae, Schoenobiinae, Scopariinae) . In: P. Huemer, O. Karsholt, L. Lyneborg (eds.): Microlepidoptera of Europe . 1st edition. tape 4 . Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2005, ISBN 87-88757-33-1 , pp. 150 (English).
  2. ↑ František Slamka: The common moth (Pyraloidea) Central Europe . Ed .: František Slamka. 2nd Edition. Bratislava 1997, ISBN 80-967540-2-5 , p. 19 .
  3. ↑ Eudonia mercurella in Fauna Europaea. Retrieved March 7, 2010

Web links

Commons : Eudonia mercurella  - album with pictures, videos and audio files