Gray juniper coniferous trees

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Gray juniper coniferous trees
Gray juniper coniferous tree spider (Thera juniperata)

Gray juniper coniferous tree spider ( Thera juniperata )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Spanner (Geometridae)
Subfamily : Larentiinae
Genre : Thera
Type : Gray juniper coniferous trees
Scientific name
Thera juniperata
( Linnaeus , 1758)
Caterpillar

The gray juniper coniferous spanner ( Thera juniperata ) is a butterfly ( moth ) from the spanner family (Geometridae). Another common German name for this species is Grauer Buschhalden-Juniper-Blattspanner .

features

The moths reach a wingspan of up to 25 millimeters. The gray to white-gray forewings show a brown root and middle field, the edges of which are limited by the mostly more or less jagged basal, inner and outer transverse line, each of which is black on the inside and white on the outside. The midfield can be severely constricted or dissolved into isolated individual spots. The whitish wavy line runs in outwardly directed arcs; it can be indistinct or absent. The wing tip is divided by a black line. The hind wings are light gray. Occasionally there are darkened specimens. It is noticeable that after the moths have settled down on a surface after a flight phase, they often walk around with their wings folded over their bodies or sit in this position for a while.

The caterpillars reach a length of up to 21 millimeters, are light green and have an indistinct, bluish-green back line. The secondary ridge lines, which are also not clearly pronounced, are greenish or whitish. The broad, yellowish-white lateral line is lined with red at the top. The legs are rosy red, the head is round and greenish brown.

The pupa is slender, light green to gray-brown. It has six hook bristles on the cremaster , which is relatively short.

Similar species

Synonyms

  • Larentia juniperata
  • Cidaria juniperata

Occurrence

The species is common in Europe and spread as far as northern Scandinavia, but is absent on the Balkan Peninsula. It occurs from the lowlands to the low mountain ranges wherever juniper grows, mostly on the edges of forests , in heathland and juniper heaths . In the Alps, it rises almost to the 2000 meter contour line. By planting juniper species as ornamental shrubs in parks and gardens, the species is now also found in cities and villages. The moths are nocturnal and are attracted to light.

Way of life

The female lays her eggs exclusively on species of the genus Juniperus . The caterpillars feed mainly on the common juniper ( Juniperus communis ) and its garden and ornamental forms, but also on the alpine juniper ( Juniperus communis var. Saxatilis ) and sade tree ( Juniperus sabina ) and possibly also the Chinese juniper ( Juniperus chinensis ). In the event of mass infestation, the bushes can die off as the caterpillars eat.

The egg or the small caterpillar overwinters.

Around the end of August, the caterpillars pupate in loose cocoons in fallen leaves on the ground.

Flight and caterpillar times

The species flies in one generation from early September to mid-November, and even later in warm areas. The caterpillars are found from June to August or overwintering from October to August.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. a b c David J. Carter, Brian Hargreaves: Caterpillars and butterflies of Europe and their forage plants. Blackwell Wissenschaftsverlag 1987, ISBN 3-826-38139-4 .
  2. a b c d Manfred Koch , Wolfgang Heinicke, Bernd Müller: We determine butterflies. Volume 4: Spanner. 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1976, DNB 780451570 .
  3. Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 8, Nachtfalter VI (Spanner (Geometridae) 1st part), Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 2001. ISBN 3-800-13497-7
  4. Arno Bergmann: The large butterflies of Central Germany. Volume 5/1: Spanner. Distribution, forms and communities. Urania-Verlag, Jena 1955, DNB 450378403 .

literature

Web links

Commons : Grauer Juniper-Nadelholzspanner  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files