Light orange green hay butterfly
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Light orange-green hay butterfly ( Colias chrysotheme ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Colias chrysotheme | ||||||||||||
| ( Esper , 1781) |
The light orange-green hay butterfly ( Colias chrysotheme ), also orange-green yellow fling , is a butterfly from the family of the white flies (Pieridae) in the subfamily of the yellow flings . The specific epithet is derived from Chrysothemis, a nymph from Greek mythology .
features
Imago
The light orange-green hay butterfly is the smallest of the three orange-colored yellowling species that occur in Central Europe and has a wingspan of 36 to 44 millimeters, whereby the second generation butterflies are often slightly larger than those of the first generation. The upper side of the wings of the males is orange-yellow in color and has a dark outer band that is narrower on the hind wings. The orange hue is somewhat weaker than that of the postillon ( Colias croceus ) and much weaker than that of the orange-red hay butterfly ( Colias myrmidone ). The yellow veins in the dark outer fringe are recognizable in chrysotheme on both the fore and hind wings, while in croceus they are mostly only present on the tips of the forewings and are completely absent in myrmidone . In both sexes there is a black-brown spot in the cell on the upper side of the forewing, and a red spot on the upper side of the hind wing. The females can be recognized by a greenish front margin on the upper side of the forewing and yellow spots in the submarginal bandage . Whitish forms are extremely rare. The moth varies greatly in color depending on its occurrence and is differentiated as follows:
- ssp. chrysotheme : in spring more greenish-yellow, in summer more orange-yellow (shape, among others, from Lake Neusiedl to southern Russia ).
- ssp. audre : Small and pointed-winged, of a pale yellow-orange base color and a broad band at the edge in the males and strongly pronounced yellow spots in the submarginal band. (Form e.g. east of Lake Baikal in Siberia and Mongolia ).
- ssp. elena : Larger, mostly darker orange form in the males and less extensive spots in the submarginal bandage in the females. (Mountain shape among others in the Altai , Sajan and Tuwa mountains and higher altitudes of Mongolia ).
egg
The egg is cylindrical with a conical tip, initially whitish, before hatching yellowish.
Caterpillar
The adult caterpillar is green and has a white, red interrupted side stripe, but can also vary in color.
Doll
The pupa is greenish yellow with dark spots.
Similar species
- Orange-red hay butterfly ( Colias myrmidone )
- Postillon ( Colias croceus )
- Colias erate (only in the orange colored form of the male)
Occurrence
The light orange-green haymoth occurs in eastern Central Europe in Lower Austria (there were also isolated records in eastern Upper Austria, for example in Mauthausen ), in Burgenland ( Lake Neusiedl region ), in Hungary and Bohemia , often not infrequently at the mostly limited flight points and preferably in steppe landscapes , barren meadows and hills. Furthermore, the type u. a. in Romania , Ukraine , South Russia , Kazakhstan , South Siberia , Mongolia and parts of China .
Way of life
The caterpillar of the light orange-green haymoth lives on tragacanth species, such as Austria tragacanth ( Astragalus austriacus ), as well as vetch and crown vetch plants. The moths prefer to fly in the sunshine over steppe areas and feed on the nectar of various meadow flowers. Due to the increasing fertilization of barren meadows, the species' habitat is becoming more and more restricted.
Flight and caterpillar times
The moth flies in April / May and from August to September in two to three generations. The last generation caterpillars overwinter after the second moult.
swell
Individual evidence
- ^ Arnold Spuler: The butterflies of Europe . tape 1 . E. Schweitzerbartsche Verlagbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1908, p. 10 .
- ↑ J. Grieshuber (2002): On the distribution and subspecific classification of Colias chrysotheme (ESPER, 1781) –Ent. Zschr. (Stuttgart): 11283): 81-88, 112 (9): 299-305.
- ↑ Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 2: Butterflies. (Rhopalocera and Hesperiidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1955, DNB 456642188 .
- ↑ Franz Hauder, Josef Roidtner, one of the oldest butterfly collector of Upper Austria , the Austrian magazine entomologists-association, 5th year
literature
- Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 2: Butterflies. (Rhopalocera and Hesperiidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1955, DNB 456642188 .
- J. Grieshuber (2002): On the distribution and subspecific classification of Colias chrysotheme (ESPER, 1781) –Ent. Zschr. (Stuttgart): 11283): 81-88, 112 (9): 299-305.
Web links
- photos
- Colias chrysotheme at Fauna Europaea. Retrieved May 2, 2011