Yellow aurora butterfly
| Yellow aurora butterfly | ||||||||||||
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Yellow aurora butterfly ( Anthocharis euphenoides ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Anthocharis euphenoides | ||||||||||||
| Staudinger , 1869 |
The yellow aurora butterfly ( Anthocharis euphenoides ) is a butterfly (day butterfly ) from the family of whiteflies (Pieridae).
features
The yellow aurora butterfly looks very similar to the aurora butterfly ( Anthocharis cardamines ). In contrast to this species, however, the males have a yellow basic color on both sides of the wing pairs instead of a white one. In the females, only the undersides of the wings are partially yellow. However, unlike the females of the aurora butterfly, they have orange wing tips, which are, however, less extended than in the male. Due to this feature, however, it can be confused with the somewhat larger Zegris eupheme , whose distribution area overlaps in Spain. In females of the similar species, however, the wing tip is only core orange and otherwise gray-brown. Colotis evagore can also be confused with the yellow aurora butterfly , but can be distinguished by the non-gray-green marbled undersides of the hind wings.
Similar species
- Aurora butterfly ( Anthocharis cardamines ) (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Colotis evagore (Klug, 1829)
- Zegris eupheme (Esper, 1804)
Occurrence and habitat
The animals are found on the Iberian Peninsula, but are absent in the southwest and northeast. The distribution continues over the south of France, from the Eastern Pyrenees to the Alpes-Maritimes department and to Italy in the Abruzzo region . There is little evidence from Switzerland ( southern Ticino ), but the species is not down-to-earth there, but can only be described as a random visitor. The species inhabits open and flower-rich areas, such as semi-arid grassland, rock steppes and extensive clearings in dry forests. They can also be found on sunny forest paths and in open olive groves. The species occurs in mountain locations up to 1800 meters above sea level.
Way of life
The females lay their eggs on the flower stalks of the host plants in spring. They are initially yellow, then red in color and have an elongated shape. The caterpillars feed exclusively on the flowers and fruits of eyeglass pods ( Biscutella ) and rarely rocket ( Sisymbrium ). The adults fly according to the flowering time of these plants in the Mediterranean area as early as the beginning of March, north of it from April. In the mountains, the flight season ends at the end of June. The caterpillars often eat conspecifics and caterpillars of other species if they live on the same food plants.
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Yellow aurora butterfly. Lepiforum eV, accessed on July 1, 2010 .
Web links
- www.schmetterling-raupe.de
- Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa (English)
- Anthocharis euphenoides in Fauna Europaea
- Anthocharis euphenoides in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Posted by: van Swaay, C., Wynhoff, I., Verovnik, R., Wiemers, M., López Munguira, M., Maes, D., Sasic, M., Verstrael, T., Warren, M. & Settele, J., 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2014.