Euxoa nigrofusca

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Euxoa nigrofusca
Euxoa tritici (xndr) .jpg

Euxoa nigrofusca

Systematics
Subfamily : Noctuinae
Tribe : Agrotini
Sub tribus : Agrotina
Genre : Euxoa
Subgenus : Euxoa
Type : Euxoa nigrofusca
Scientific name
Euxoa nigrofusca
( Esper , 1788)

Euxoa nigrofusca ( Syn .: Euxoa tritici auct., Not Euxoa tritici (Linnaeus, 1761)), also called wheat owl , grain owl or reddish-gray earth owl , is a butterfly ( moth ) fromthe owl family . It is one of three species of the narrower E. tritici complex, whose taxonomic status as bonae species has been questioned. T. still will.

features

The moths have a wingspan of 26 to 42 millimeters. Coloring and drawing are extremely variable and hardly any butterfly has an identical coloring and drawing. The basic color varies from brown-gray to black-gray, the drawing is only slightly visible. Ring and kidney defects are often not very clearly marked and have light edges. The males have relatively short, comb-like antennae, the females have thread-shaped antennae.

The egg is yellowish with no superficial ribbing.

The caterpillars are yellowish to ocher in color with a light line on the back and dark side ridge lines that are lightly edged downwards. The side stripes are greenish-brown.

The doll is brown-yellow in color. The blunt cremaster is studded with two pointed thorns.

Similar species

The three types of the narrower E. tritici complex, i.e. H. E. nigrofusca , E. tritici , E. eruta are very similar and can usually only be distinguished by genital morphological investigations. However, the independence of these species is questioned

  • E. aquilina , the comb-like antennae of the males have longer combs than the antennae of the male E. nigrofusca .
  • E. eruta , the moths are usually darker and less brown than E. nigrofusca , the markings are less distinct, the caterpillars are somewhat larger and darker than those of E. nigrofusca
  • E. tritici , smaller, with wider and more rounded fore wings, slightly darker in tint

The three other species of the E. tritici complex ( E. montivaga , E. segnilis and E. diaphora ) do not occur in Central Europe.

Geographical distribution and habitat

The distribution area extends over the whole of Europe with the exception of the northern parts of Fennoscandia and northern Russia as well as some Mediterranean islands (Balearic Islands, Crete, Greek islands). In the east it extends over Siberia to the Russian Far East and Japan.

The Euxoa nigrofusca can be found in grain fields , on sandy heathland , fallow land and pastures. Originally their biotope was the grass steppe . In the mountains this species is only found in the valleys.

Way of life

The wheat owl forms one generation per year, whose moths fly from late June to late September. The moths are nocturnal, visit artificial light sources and get the bait. The brown and black patterned butterflies are not easy to spot when they are sitting on a piece of dark wood. After mating, the female lays the eggs at the base of tufts of grass or lower plants. The caterpillars are found from September to October. The caterpillars feed polyphagously on the roots and areas close to the ground of various grasses and herbaceous plants . Fibiger (1990) names horn herbs ( Cerastium ), star chickweed ( Stellaria ), Spark ( Spergula ), rennet herbs ( Galium ), plantain ( Plantago ) and cabbage ( Brassica ). Usually the caterpillars overwinter; However, it has already been observed that individual caterpillars pupate as early as autumn.

The species has also been observed as a pest on buckwheat ( Fagopyrum esculentum ).

Systematics and nomenclature

The species was listed in the literature as Euxoa tritici (Linnaeus, 1761) until 1993 or 1998 . When examining the type specimen (lectotype) of the species established by Carl von Linné as Phalaena Noctua tritici , it turned out that this specimen is identical to Euxoa crypta Dadd, 1927. The oldest available name for this species, which so far has been wrongly called in the literature Euxoa tritici is Phalaena Noctua nigrofusca Esper, 1788. The name Euxoa tritici does not become invalid, but takes the place of Euxoa crypta Dadd, 1927. A third, very similar species, often only as a forma or subspecies of Euxoa tritici auct. was held is Euxoa eruta (Hübner, 1827). Fibiger (1997) considers it to be a bona species that mainly differs through differences in the female genital system. On the other hand, Marko Mutanen found no significant differences in quantitative morphometric examinations of the male and female genital organs and concluded that probably some, if not all species of the further E. tritici complex (ie E. nigrofusca , E. tritici , E. eruta , E . montivaga , E. segnilis and E. diaphora ) must be synonymous.

Fibiger (1990) divides Euxoa nigrofusca into two subspecies:

  • Euxoa nigrofusca reisseri Corti, 1932, Sierra Nevada (Spain). Basic color light gray to dark gray, wingspan on average slightly smaller than that of the nominate subspecies.
  • Euxoa nigrofusca nigrofusca (Linnaeus, 1761), in the greater part of the distribution area

Danger

Due to the difficult situation of taxonomy, the risk potential of this species is difficult to assess. Basically, it can only be given for the E. tritici complex as a whole. The constantly fluctuating population sizes of this species (s) have decreased noticeably in recent years. Nevertheless, they are / will not be classified as endangered.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Red Lists at Science4you
  2. ↑ a b c Fibiger (1990: pp. 32–37)
  3. ^ Forster & Wohlfahrt (1971: p. 8)
  4. ↑ a b Marko Mutanen: Delimitation difficulties in species splits: a morphometric case study on the Euxoa tritici complex (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Systematic Zoology, 30: 632-643, 2005 doi : 10.1111 / j.1365-3113.2005.00296.x
  5. ↑ Gernot Embacher: The species of the Euxoa tritici (LINNAEUS, 1761) - group in Salzburg (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Association of Austrian Entomologists , 51: 9-14, Vienna 1999 PDF
  6. ↑ Fibiger (1997: p. 58)
  7. ↑ Michael Fibiger and Hermann Hacker: Systematic List of the Noctuidae of Europe. Corrigenda et Addenda II. Esperiana series of books on entomology. 6: 9-40, Schwanfeld 1998, ISBN 3-9802644-5-9
  8. ↑ > Hermann Hacker: The types of EJ CH. Esper (1742-1810) in his Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera) described in his "The Butterflies in Pictures from Nature". Esperiana, Entomology Book Series, Vol. 6: 433-468, Schwanfeld, 1998, ISBN 3-9802644-5-9

literature

  • Axel Steiner: Noctuinae . In Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . Volume 7, Nachtfalter V (Eulen (Noctuidae) 3rd part), Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-800-13500-0
  • Michael Fibiger: noctuinae I . In: WG Tremewan (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . 1st edition. tape 1 . Entomological Press, Sorø 1990, ISBN 87-89430-01-8 (English).
  • Michael Fibiger: Noctuinae III. - Noctuidae Europaeae, Volume 3. Entomological Press, Sorø 1997, ISBN 8-789-43005-0

Web links

Commons : Wheat Owl ( Euxoa tritici )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files