Honeysuckle Owl

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Honeysuckle Owl
Honeysuckle Owl (Xylocampa areola), brown color variant

Honeysuckle Owl ( Xylocampa areola ), brown color variant

Systematics
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Cuculliinae
Tribe : Oncocnemidini
Genre : Xylocampa
Type : Honeysuckle Owl
Scientific name
Xylocampa areola
( Esper , 1789)
Light gray color variant

The honeysuckle owl ( Xylocampa areola ), sometimes also spelled honeysuckle owl and also called the honeysuckle cap owl or honeysuckle owl, is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of owl butterflies (Noctuidae). The specific epithet is based on the Latin word areola , meaning "small space" and refers to the sharply delineated field of the connected ring and kidney blemishes .

features

butterfly

The moths reach a wingspan of 32 to 40 millimeters. Their forewing upper side varies from dark brown to various shades of gray and shows some blackish interferences. Ring and kidney defects are large, light-edged and usually connected to one another in the lower part. Black wedge marks stand out in front of the hem. The upper side of the hind wings is brownish gray in color. The head is hairy and bushy, the proboscis is well developed.

egg

The egg is spherical, flattened at the lower end and covered with weak, irregular ribs. It is white to brownish in color. A few small red-brown dots stand out on the surface.

Caterpillar

Adult caterpillars have an elongated, slender shape. Their basic color varies from ocher to dark brown. The topline is yellowish, sometimes interrupted. The light brown to yellowish side stripes are laid out in dark brown. There is a slight increase in the eleventh segment. The stigmas are bordered in white and black. The head has two dark stripes.

Doll

The slender doll has a reddish brown color. The kremaster is short and blunt.

Distribution, habitat and subspecies

The species occurs from the Iberian Peninsula north to Ireland , Central England , Denmark , southern Sweden and southern Norway , east through parts of Germany and Austria to the Ukraine . Specimens from the Maghreb states and southern Italy are attributed to the sister species Xylocampa mustapha , which was previously known as the subspecies Xylocampa areola srira . The subspecies Xylocampa areola modesta Warnecke , 1922, is native to the Iberian Peninsula .

The honeysuckle owl is mainly found in deciduous and mixed forests, field edge hedges as well as in gardens and areas with undergrowth.

Way of life

The species forms one generation a year, the moths of which are found relatively early in the year, from March to May as the main flight time. Occasionally, individual moths have been observed in January or February. Therefore, the species is called Early Gray in English usage . The moths are crepuscular and nocturnal and visit artificial light sources and bait , but prefer flowering pussy willows for feeding . Their very early flight time also runs largely parallel to the willow blossom ( Salix ). During the day, they like to rest on board walls, walls or tree trunks. The caterpillars have a relatively small food spectrum and prefer the leaves of forest honeysuckle ( Lonicera periclymenum ) or other honeysuckle species ( Lonicera ). They live between May and July and pupate in late summer. The pupa hibernates.

Danger

The honeysuckle owl occurs in Germany in different numbers in the individual federal states, is completely absent in some western and southern areas and is classified on the red list of endangered species "on the warning list".

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Arnold Spuler: The butterflies of Europe. Volume 1 E. Schweitzerbartsche Verlagbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1908, p. 269
  2. ↑ a b László Ronkay, José Luis Yela, Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae II. - Noctuidae Europaeae, Volume 5. , Sorø, 2001, p. 290, ISBN 87-89430-06-9
  3. ↑ Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 , p. 196.
  4. ↑ a b c Günter Ebert (Ed.): The Butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 6, Nachtfalter IV. Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1997 (Eulen (Noctuidae) 2nd part), pp. 526-528, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9
  5. ↑ Markku Savela: Tanaecia Butler (1869) - distribution. In: Lepidoptera and some other life forms. Retrieved September 20, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Manfred Koch : We identify butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 , pp. 134-135.
  7. ↑ Endangerment

literature

  • László Ronkay, José Luis Yela, Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae II. - Noctuidae Europaeae, Volume 5. , Sorø, 2001, ISBN 87-89430-06-9
  • Günter Ebert (Hrsg.): The Butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 6, Nachtfalter IV. Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1997 (Eulen (Noctuidae) 2nd part), ISBN 3-8001-3482-9

Web links

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