Green oak owl
| Green oak owl | ||||||||||||
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Green oak owl ( Griposia aprilina ) |
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| Griposia aprilina | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
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The green oak owl ( Griposia aprilina , syn .: Dichonia aprilina ), also called april owl, is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterfly (Noctuidae) that is widespread in Europe . The specific epithet is derived from the Latin aprilis for April, because the butterfly is as freshly green as the "young green" in April.
features
The green oak owl has a wingspan of 45 to 52 mm. The wing markings vary greatly, the common aberration virgata (with bandage) has broad confluent black darkenings, but has only been found once in Baden-Württemberg. The light green forewings, which quickly lose their strong green, have sharply defined white transverse lines with thick black stripes, which are connected by a longitudinal stripe. The antennae and legs are pale white-green with black rings. The hind wings are dark gray-brown, slightly lighter in the center. The discal spot and the transverse line are diffuse, but still mostly easily recognizable.
The reddish brown, low egg has broad longitudinal ribs with large, white and green and smaller, black spots.
The black to brown-gray caterpillar has an often interrupted, light topline, slightly broadened at the segments. The secondary ridge lines are wider, but more strongly interrupted. On the back and the side, dark lines form a diamond-shaped drawing with white dots. The light brown head is darker reticulated, with two broad, black-brown arched lines.
Similar species
- Griposia pinkeri ( Kobes , 1973) occurs sympatric in Asia Minor and on the Balkan Peninsula .
distribution and habitat
The green oak owl occurs from southernmost Norway and St. Petersburg through northern and central Europe to southern France and northern Italy, as well as in Castile, Sardinia and southeastern Russia (foothills of the Urals to the Black Sea). Outside Europe, the species is known from western and central Anatolia and from the Caucasus region. There is more recent evidence from the Elburs Mountains .
The green oak owl is very common in the northern Mediterranean area and in forest steppes , but often only locally in the northern and northwestern distribution area. The habitats are preferably dry forests, especially oak forests and deciduous forests mixed with oak, from the lowlands to the hill country to river valleys and rocky forests in the mountains. It is missing in the higher elevations of the mountains.
Way of life
The moths fly from late August to October. They begin to fly at dusk and fly through most of the night. First they visit flowers and also bait , only later do they fly to artificial light sources and light traps .
Hibernate the eggs that have been deposited on the bark. The caterpillars hatch next spring and live on oaks ( Quercus ), but also on ash ( Fraxinus ), beech ( Fagus ), linden ( Tilia ), poplar ( Populus ) and fruit trees from April to June . During the day they can be found in crevices of the bark, on thick branches or on the trunk, almost down to the ground. They usually pupate between the oak roots in a strong cocoon in the ground.
supporting documents
literature
- Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 6 . Moth IV. Noctuidae 2nd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9 .
- Lázló Ronkay, José Luis Yela & Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae II . In: Michael Fibiger, Martin Honey (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . tape 5 . Entomological Press, Sorø 2001, ISBN 87-89430-06-9 (English).
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Arnold Spuler: The butterflies of Europe . tape 1 . E. Schweitzerbartsche Verlagbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1908, p. 205 .
- ↑ a b c Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 6 . Moth IV. Noctuidae 2nd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9 , pp. 536 f .
- ↑ a b c Lázló Ronkay, José Luis Yela & Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae II . In: Michael Fibiger, Martin Honey (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . tape 5 . Entomological Press, Sorø 2001, ISBN 87-89430-06-9 , pp. 164 f . (English).
- ↑ a b c 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. 200.
