Heather colored owl

Heather colored owl
	Heather-colored owl ( Anarta (Anarta) myrtilli )
Systematics
Superfamily :	Noctuoidea
Family :	Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily :	Hadeninae
Genre :	Anarta
Subgenus :	Anarta
Type :	Heather colored owl
Scientific name of the genus
	Anarta
	Ochsenheimer , 1816
Scientific name of the subgenus
	Anarta
	Ochsenheimer , 1816
Scientific name of the species
	Anarta (Anarta) myrtilli
	( Linnaeus , 1761)

Anarta myrtilli while sucking on flowers of heather

Caterpillar

The anarta myrtilli or Heidekrauteulchen ( Anarta (Anarta) Myrtilli ) is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the cutworm (Noctuidae). Today, the species is the only one of the genus Anarta , since all other species that used to belong to this genus are now part of the genus Hadula or the new genus Coranarta . The scientific name is derived from the blueberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus ), which, contrary to previous assumptions, does not belong to the food plants of the caterpillars.

features

The moths reach a wingspan of 24 to 28 millimeters. The forewings have a dull brown-gray to strong purple red-brown base color. The pattern is irregular, but contrasting white, yellow and black. Several cross ties can be seen. The whitish subterminal line is sinusoidal, the others are less wavy. In the center of the front wings there is a white to whitish, triangular to rhomboid spot. The fringes on the outer edge of the wing are piebald. The hind wings are bright yellow to orange-yellow on the basal half, the marginal field is broad, dark blackish brown. There is a small black spot in the center underneath. The abdomen is dark brown, with each segment at the rear end having a yellowish edge. The species is easy to determine, only specimens that have been flown away can be confused with Coranarta cordigera . However, this can be distinguished by its white kidney-shaped blemishes.

The caterpillars are up to 25 millimeters long and have a light to dark green colored body. They have a striking pattern of white and yellowish dots, short lines and angles.

The doll is dark red-brown with a stunted and wrinkled cremaster .

Geographical distribution and habitat

The southern limit of distribution of the species runs from southern Portugal and Spain, across southern France and central Italy to the eastern Adriatic coast in Dalmatia and further across northern Serbia, Hungary, the Ukrainian Carpathians to the area around Moscow and east to the Urals. In the north, the border runs from the British Isles to Fennoscandia up to about 70 ° north latitude. The species is also known from some parts of Morocco and, contrary to earlier reports, is absent in both Greenland and North America.

You wet populated as dry habitats where heather ( Calluna vulgaris ) grows, such as sandy heaths , parched Moore and open raised bogs . They can be found from the lowlands to locations around 2000 meters in the Alps .

Way of life

The moths fly in central and southern Europe in two generations from early May to early July and from late July to mid-August. In Northern Europe, the British Isles and at higher altitudes, only one generation occurs in June / July. They are diurnal and mostly fly in the late afternoon, but occasionally come to light at night. They can be in fast Schwirrflug during the flowering visit, especially Heather, but also of cranberry ( Vaccinium vitisidaea ) or Cicerbita Alpina ( Cicerbita alpina watch). The females lay their eggs one by one on the host plants. The caterpillars are found in central and southern Europe from August to September and from June to July. They feed on heather ( Calluna vulgaris ) and Schneeheide ( Erica carnea ), more rarely by other heather species . Silver willow ( Salix alba ) is also accepted for rearing . The caterpillars are mostly diurnal and eat upright, sitting parallel to the branches, on the end shoots of the plants, where they are perfectly camouflaged by their color. They pupate in the ground, the pupa pushes itself out of the ground before hatching so that the butterfly can hatch without any problems.

Hazard and protection

The species is listed in the Red List of Endangered Species in Germany on the warning list (Category V). It is endangered in several federal states (category 3), in Thuringia severely endangered (category 2) and threatened with extinction in Saxony-Anhalt (category 1). It is listed as endangered in Austria's Red List. The main source of danger is the destruction of heathland, for example through development, afforestation, but also natural succession .

swell

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f H. Hacker, Lázló Ronkay, Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae I.- Noctuidae Europaeae. Volume 4, Sorø 2002, ISBN 87-89430-07-7 .
↑ Anarta. Fauna Europaea, accessed July 29, 2009 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 7: Moths V (Owls (Noctuidae)). 3rd part, Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-8001-3500-0 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c Manfred Koch: We determine butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 .
↑ Heiko Bellmann: The new Kosmos butterfly guide. Butterflies, caterpillars and forage plants. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-440-09330-1 .
↑ Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .
↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .
^ P. Huemer, E. Reichl, C. Wieser: Red list of the endangered large butterflies of Austria (Macro-Lepidoptera). In: J. Gepp (Ed.): Red lists of endangered animals in Austria. Green series of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Youth and Family. Volume 2, Styria, Graz 1994.

literature

Heiko Bellmann : The new Kosmos butterfly guide. Butterflies, caterpillars and forage plants. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-440-09330-1 .
Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 7: Moths V (Owls (Noctuidae)). 3rd part, Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-8001-3500-0 .
H. Hacker, Lázló Ronkay, Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae I.- Noctuidae Europaeae. Volume 4, Sorø 2002, ISBN 87-89430-07-7 .
Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 .

Web links

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

www.lepiforum.de Taxonomy and photos
Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa (English)

[Noctuidae_Europaeae-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f H. Hacker, Lázló Ronkay, Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae I.- Noctuidae Europaeae. Volume 4, Sorø 2002, ISBN 87-89430-07-7 .

[www.faunaeur.org-2] Anarta. Fauna Europaea, accessed July 29, 2009 .

[Ebert-3] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 7: Moths V (Owls (Noctuidae)). 3rd part, Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-8001-3500-0 .

[Koch-4] Manfred Koch: We determine butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 .

[Bellmann-5] Heiko Bellmann: The new Kosmos butterfly guide. Butterflies, caterpillars and forage plants. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-440-09330-1 .

[Forster-6] Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .

[BuNa-7] Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .

[RLÖ-8] P. Huemer, E. Reichl, C. Wieser: Red list of the endangered large butterflies of Austria (Macro-Lepidoptera). In: J. Gepp (Ed.): Red lists of endangered animals in Austria. Green series of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Youth and Family. Volume 2, Styria, Graz 1994.