Light gray wooden owl

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Light gray wooden owl
Light gray wooden owl (Lithophane ornitopus)

Light gray wooden owl ( Lithophane ornitopus )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Xyleninae
Genre : Lithophanes
Type : Light gray wooden owl
Scientific name
Lithophane ornitopus
( Hufnagel , 1766)
Caterpillar

The light gray wooden owl ( Lithophane ornitopus ), also called sloe bark owl , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae).

features

butterfly

The wingspan of the moth is 34 to 42 millimeters. The color of the upper side of the forewing varies from white gray to bluish gray to ash gray. A curved black root welt is typical of the species. The kidney blemish is large, has a fine, dark border and the lower part is yellowish. The cross lines and flaws are sometimes indistinct. There is a row of black dots on the hem. The rear wings are colored gray-brown without drawing on the upper side, on the underside a thin, dark transverse line and a dark discoidal spot can be seen. The proboscis of the moths is well developed. There are erect hairs on the head and thorax .

egg

The spherical egg has a strongly flattened base and is heavily meshed. The micropyle stands out clearly. It initially has a yellowish white color, which later changes into dark purple tones and is also provided with many yellow-white spots.

Caterpillar

Adult caterpillars range in color from grass green to bluish green and show thin white back and length lines and some equally colored, very short hairs. The light green head is large.

Doll

The red-brown doll has two short, outwardly curved tips on the cremaster .

distribution and habitat

The species is widespread from northwest Africa through southern and central Europe and the Middle East. To the east, it spreads through Asia to the Amur region . It is also found in the British Isles . In Sicily it is represented by the darker colored subspecies Lithophane ornitopus pitzalisi . The light gray wooden owl is mainly found on the edges of forests and meadows as well as in heather areas and park landscapes.

Way of life

The moths fly in one generation from August. They hibernate and live until May of the following year. In spring they were occasionally observed sucking on willow blossoms ( Salix ). They are nocturnal and sometimes fly to artificial light sources , especially when baited . During the day they rest with close-fitting wings on tree trunks, stakes, rocks or walls. The caterpillars live from May to June. They feed on the leaves of the following deciduous trees: oak ( Quercus ), blackthorn ( Prunus spinosa ), willow ( Salix ) or poplar ( Populus ).

Danger

The species occurs in different numbers in the German federal states. It is classified as not endangered on the Red List of Endangered Species .

Systematics and taxonomy

When the genus Lithophane is subdivided into the two sub-genera Lithophane and Prolitha , L. ornitopus is placed in the sub-genus Lithophane .

swell

literature

  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 6, Nachtfalter IV. Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1997 (Eulen (Noctuidae) 2nd part), ISBN 3-800-13482-9
  • Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .
  • László Ronkay, José Luis Yela & Márton Hreblay: Noctuidae Europaeae Volume 5 Hadeninae II. , Entomological Press, Sorø 2001 ISBN 87-89430-06-9
  • Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b László Ronkay, José Luis Yela & Márton Hreblay: Noctuidae Europaeae Volume 5 Hadeninae II. , Entomological Press, Sorø 2001 ISBN 87-89430-06-9
  2. ↑ Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .
  3. ↑ a b c Günter Ebert (Ed.): The Butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 6, Nachtfalter IV. Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1997 (Eulen (Noctuidae) 2nd part), ISBN 3-800-13482-9
  4. ↑ Guide to the moths of Great Britain and Ireland. Gray shoulder-knot Lithophane ornitopus. Ian Kimber, accessed November 7, 2015 .
  5. ^ A b Arno Bergmann: The large butterflies of Central Germany. Volume 4/1: Owls. Distribution, forms and communities. Urania-Verlag, Jena 1954, DNB 450378373 .
  6. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9

Web links

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