Heather fly buds

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Heather fly buds
Eupithecia nanata01.JPG

Heather moth ( Eupithecia nanata )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Spanner (Geometridae)
Subfamily : Larentiinae
Genre : Eupithecia
Type : Heather fly buds
Scientific name
Eupithecia nanata
( Huebner , 1813)

The heather-Pug ( Eupithecia nanata ), also Gebänderter eupithecia nanata called, is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the tensioner (Geometridae).

features

butterfly

The wingspan of the moth is 15 to 23 millimeters. Because of its small size, the scientific name of the species is derived from the Latin nanus = dwarf. The basic color of the forewings ranges from gray to brownish to yellow-brown. In the middle there is a contrasting dark transverse band, which always runs at right angles on the front edge and which is mostly lightly bordered. The black center point is sometimes indistinct. In the outer area there is a white wavy line that continues on the hind wings. These are clearly lighter than the forewings and slightly darkened towards the outside. The fringes are gray-white or brown-white piebald.

Caterpillar

The caterpillars appear in two color variants: At the beginning of the flowering of the forage plant, they have an alternating greenish and reddish color with clear reddish diamond-like spots on the back. The side stripes are white and interrupted. During the main flowering period of their food plants, the caterpillars only show a reddish and purple color spectrum and are thus optically well protected from predators.

Doll

Greenish wing sheaths sometimes stand out from the amber-yellow pupa . It has a conical cremaster , which is equipped with a tuft of hook bristles.

Similar species

Eupithecia gelidata is usually darker and less contrasting. The dark transverse band on the forewings is curved at the front edge.

As with many flowering species, a reliable determination should be made by specialists, and a genital morphological examination is also advisable.

Geographical distribution and occurrence

The heather moth occurs through large parts of Europe to Russia and the Ukraine and can be found in the Alps up to 2200 meters and the Pyrenees up to 2400 meters above sea ​​level . On the Faroe Islands you can find the ssp. Eupithecia nanata zebrata Wolff , 1929 and on Iceland the ssp. Eupithecia nanata gelidatoides Warnecke , 1951. The species prefers dry or boggy heathland areas.

Way of life

The moths are crepuscular and nocturnal and fly in two generations with main flight times from May to June and from July to August, although overlaps can also occur. In both sexes, they like to appear on artificial light sources and also on bait . Butterflies suckling on the flowers of scabioses ( Scabiosa ), knapweeds ( Centaurea ), bed herbs ( Galium ) or hawkweeds ( Galium ) have also been observed. The caterpillars feed preferentially from the flowers of the heather ( Calluna vulgaris ), the bell heather ( Erica tetralix ) or Schneeheide ( Erica carnea ). The second generation pupae overwinter.

Danger

In Germany, the heather moth is widespread locally, occurs in different numbers in the individual federal states and is listed as not endangered on the Red List of Endangered Species .

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Vladimir Mironov: The Geometrid Moths of the World . In: Axel Hausmann (Ed.): The Geometrid Moths of Europe . 1st edition. Volume 4: Larentiinae II. Perizomini and Eupitheciini . Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2003, ISBN 87-88757-40-4 (English).
  2. ^ Arnold Spuler: The butterflies of Europe , Volume 2, E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, 1910
  3. ↑ a b c Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 9. Moths VII. Geometridae 2nd part . 1st edition. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2003, ISBN 3-8001-3279-6 .
  4. ↑ Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 5: Spanner. (Geometridae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-440-04951-5 .
  5. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .

literature

  • Vladimir Mironov: The Geometrid Moths of the World . In: Axel Hausmann (Ed.): The Geometrid Moths of Europe . 1st edition. Volume 4: Larentiinae II. Perizomini and Eupitheciini . Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2003, ISBN 87-88757-40-4 (English).
  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 9. Moths VII. Geometridae 2nd part . 1st edition. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2003, ISBN 3-8001-3279-6 .
  • Manfred Koch , Wolfgang Heinicke, Bernd Müller: We determine butterflies. Volume 4: Spanner. 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1976, DNB 780451570 .

Web links

Commons : Heather Moth  - Collection of images, videos and audio files