Gorse extensor foot
| Gorse extensor foot | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gorse extensor foot ( Calliteara fascelina ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Calliteara fascelina | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The gorse extensor or gorse brush moth ( Calliteara fascelina ) is a butterfly ( moth ) from the subfamily of the bearer moth (Lymantriinae) within the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae).
features
The moths reach a wingspan of 35 to 45 millimeters. They have gray forewings on which two dark transverse bands, sometimes speckled orange, divide the wings into three roughly equal areas. The forewings are also finely speckled dark, in the middle there is a mostly light spot. The gray base color of the wing can vary from very light to very dark. The females are usually darker than the males. The hind wings are lighter gray than the fore wings.
The caterpillars are about 50 millimeters long. They are dark gray in color and are strong and long, light to dark gray and sometimes with dirty yellow hairs. They have thick tufts of hair on the fourth to eighth segment, black in the middle and white on the sides. These can be completely black on the front segments and pure white on the rear segments. On the eleventh segment they have another black tuft of hair.
Similar species
- Fir extensor foot ( Calliteara abietis )
- Beech extensor foot ( Calliteara pudibunda )
- Gynaephora groenlandica
Synonyms
- Dicallomera fascelina
Occurrence
The animals are found in almost all of Europe , east to East Asia . They are absent in the far north and in parts of the Mediterranean area and in western Europe on the Atlantic coast . They live in sun-drenched and open areas, such as B. on heaths and can be found especially in mountainous regions. They are common in the Alps , otherwise their populations in Central Europe are in decline.
Way of life
The nocturnal moths stretch their front legs forward in their resting position, which is why they got their German name.
Flight and caterpillar times
The moths fly from the end of June to the end of July, the caterpillars are found from August to May of the following year.
Food of the caterpillars
The polyphagous caterpillars feed on various herbaceous and woody plants, such as B. from broom ( Cytisus scoparius ), Eingriffeligem Hawthorn ( Crataegus monogyna ), blackberry ( Rubus fruticosus ), heather ( Calluna vulgaris ), seed sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia ), meadow sage ( Salvia pratensis ) and the ordinary-foot trefoil ( Lotus corniculatus ).
development
The females cover their eggs with their dark anal hairs after they are laid. The pupation takes place in a dark gray cocoon instead of on the ground. The pupa is black and has slightly yellow or brownish hairs. The overwintering takes place as a young caterpillar.
Hazard and protection
- Red list FRG: 3 (endangered).
Others
The caterpillar and imago of the gorse extensor foot are depicted on the 500 mark note of the fourth series sitting on a dandelion.
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Hans-Josef Weidemann, Jochen Köhler: Moths. Weirdos and hawkers. Naturbuch-Verlag, Augsburg 1996, ISBN 3-89440-128-1 , p. 345ff.
- ↑ a b Heiko Bellmann : The new Kosmos butterfly guide. Butterflies, caterpillars and forage plants. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-440-09330-1 , p. 284.
- ↑ Manfred Koch : We identify butterflies. Volume 2: Bears, Spinners, Swarmers and Drills in Germany. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Radebeul / Berlin 1964, DNB 452481929 , p. 84f.
- ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9
Web links
- Lepiforum e. V. Taxonomy and Photos
- Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa (English)
- Dicallomera fascelina at Fauna Europaea