Gray mountain owl
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Gray mountain owl ( Lasionycta proxima ) |
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| Lasionycta proxima | ||||||||||||
| ( Huebner , 1809) |
The gray mountain- grass owl ( Lasionycta proxima ) or violet-gray capsule owl is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae).
features
butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is 28 to 36 millimeters. The color of the fore wings varies from slate and silver gray to gray-brown to blue-gray or purple-gray. Primarily climatic or geological influences are responsible for the color design. Kidney and ring flaws are large, often distinctly light gray, partly filled with gray-brown and framed by a dark central field. A short black basal line can be seen at the root. A slightly darkened area extends from the wavy line outwards to the hem. The ring flaws have a distinctive, slightly inclined, elliptical shape, which makes it easy to distinguish the gray mountain owl from species that are similar in terms of drawing and color. In the males, the hind wings are a single color, light gray-brown, in the females a little darker. The veins stand out clearly.
Caterpillar, pupa
The caterpillars are of a dull brown color, have a fine, whitish topline, which only emerges more clearly in the first segments, as well as indistinct, light side ridge lines that are darkly delimited below. The black stigmas and the light brown head are striking . The doll shows a depression in the middle of each of the back segments. There are eight bristles positioned like a fan on the cremaster .
Similar species
- Peat owl ( Papestra biren )
- Dry grass leaf owl ( Pachetra sagittigera )
- Arrow-spotted herb owl ( Lacanobia contigua )
- Toothed owl ( hada plebeja )
- Lasionycta orientalis (Alphéraky, 1882). This sister species has long beenconfusedwith proxima in Central Asia, but prefers mountainous steppe areas, which means that the animals can best be distinguished by their location.
Geographical distribution and habitat
The distribution of the species ranges from Spain through Europe and further east to East Asia ( Amur area ). It is absent in the northwest of the British Isles . In the north the occurrence reaches close to the Arctic Circle , in the south through the Mediterranean area to the Caucasus and Mongolia . In the Alps , it rises to around 2500 meters. According to Bergmann, the gray mountain owl is the main species of the open herbaceous meadows on rocky, warm heaps with crippled, light bush vegetation in meadow valleys of the lower mountain level. In Baden-Württemberg it is, however, rather in montane fir and spruce forests or montane Nardus grasslands areas ( Nardetum strictae ) and dry forest edges in front.
Way of life
The gray mountain owl is univoltin ; d. H. usually only one generation is formed. The moths of this generation fly from June to August. A second generation is expected to emerge in the Southern Alps, with moths flying in October. The moths are mostly nocturnal, but are found in the Alps during the day occasionally blossoms as well as at dusk example of thistles , knapweed ( Centaurea ) and Wasserdost ( Eupatorium ). They appear at night on artificial light sources , and more rarely on baits . The caterpillars live mainly from August. They feed on the leaves of various plants at night. These include pointed lady's mantle ( Alchemilla vulgaris ), dandelions ( Taraxacum ) and mugwort species ( Artemisia ). When breeding they also take frills dock ( Rumex crispus ) and garden bellflowers ( Campanula on). The caterpillars overwinter and pupate in May or June of the following year.
Danger
The gray mountain owl is widespread in many regions of Germany and is not endangered there, but it is rare in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony and is therefore classified in Category 2 (severely endangered) on the Red List of Endangered Species .
swell
literature
- Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . Volume 7, Nachtfalter V. Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-8001-3500-0
- Hermann Hacker, László Ronkay & Márton Hreblay: Noctuidae Europaeae Volume 4, Hadeninae I, Entomological Press, Søro 2002, ISBN 87-89430-07-7
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Hermann Hacker, László Ronkay & Márton Hreblay: Noctuidae Europaeae Volume 4, Hadeninae I, Entomological Press. Søro 2002, ISBN 87-89430-07-7
- ↑ 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 .
- ↑ a b c Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . Volume 7, Nachtfalter V. Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-8001-3500-0
- ↑ a b c d Arno Bergmann: The large butterflies of Central Germany. Volume 4/1: Owls. Distribution, forms and communities. Urania-Verlag, Jena 1954, DNB 450378373 .
- ↑ Manfred Koch : We identify butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 .
- ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9
Web links
- www.lepiforum.de Photos
- www.schmetterlinge-deutschlands.de Endangerment
- Lasionycta proxima in Fauna Europaea