Hay dust owl
| Hay dust owl | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hay dust owl ( Paradrina clavipalpis ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Paradrina clavipalpis | ||||||||||||
| ( Scopoli , 1763) |
The hay dust owl ( Paradrina clavipalpis ) is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae). It is a species that prefers anthropogenic habitats and is therefore relatively common in settlement areas or in the cultural landscape.
features
Imago
The moths have a wingspan of 21 to 32 millimeters. In temperate climates, the spring generation is usually slightly larger than the following generation (s). The basic color is beige. However, it varies within the distribution area from dark beige to light beige, in North Africa also with a tinge of orange. The submarginal shadow is usually present, but not always distinct. The seam spots are triangular and brown in color. They extend over the entire outer edge. The subterminal transverse line is colored rust-brown towards the inner edge and is covered with arrow spots. The outer transverse line is usually interrupted and dark, the middle shadow not very pronounced. The dark inner transverse line, on the other hand, is clearly visible in some specimens, the basal transverse line is again only indicated. The ring and kidney blemishes are filled with dark. The kidney defect is often framed with white dots, some of which can be connected to one another. The ring flaw is usually much weaker than the kidney flaw. Three black spots on the front or costal edge are always clearly developed. There is often a fourth costal spot in the area of the root field. The forewings are relatively narrow.
The hind wings of the males are bright white and slightly translucent. In the females, the veins are lightly brownish, the edge is blackish.
The antennae of the males are relatively short ciliate. The antennae of the females, however, are filiform.
egg
The egg is hemispherical and initially colored light yellow. It has about 35 longitudinal stripes on the outside, every third of which extends to the micropyl zone. The horizontal stripes are relatively strong. Shortly before hatching, the upper third of the egg turns reddish (with white spots).
Caterpillar
The color of the caterpillar varies from greenish brown to reddish gray, on the sides it is dark gray. The back line is mostly indistinct, only a little more clearly defined in the first segments. It is light, edged a little darker. The secondary back lines and the side lines are dark and are interrupted at the segment boundaries. The head is relatively small and colored brown. The pronotum is also brown, the spiracles black.
Doll
The doll is red-brown. It has four long and curved bristles on the Kremaster .
Way of life
Due to the wide distribution across different climate zones, the development is very different. In the Mediterranean area (and probably also in the subtropical zones in the eastern distribution area) the species flies in several generations all year round. As a rule, two generations are trained in Central Europe, their flight maximums culminating in June and then again in August and September. Due to their strong ties to anthropogenic biotopes, butterflies are also found in Central Europe from around March to November. Such moths were often found in the house, stables and farm buildings. The name "huisuil" (house owl) in Dutch plays e.g. B. on it. Only one generation is formed in climatically unfavorable regions and in high mountains. The species prefers dry, but also warm, open biotopes such as embankments, poor grasslands and meadow fringes. You are very much tied to the cultural landscape. The eggs are apparently often placed in haystacks, haystacks and stables on relatively freshly dried or dried plant material. The 2nd generation caterpillars withdraw into cocoons in autumn, in which they only pupate in spring.
Little is known about the food plants of the caterpillar. Presumably it feeds polyphagous on different plants. Are called chickweed ( Stellaria ), dandelion ( Taraxacum ), bellflowers ( Campanula ), plantains ( Plantago ) and deadnettle ( Lamium ). However, she obviously prefers dry plant debris. It is therefore often found on haylofts or hay rents where fresh hay has been stored. This explains the butterfly finds outside of the actual flight times in Central Europe. In Tunisia, the caterpillars were found in bird nests into which dry acacia leaves were woven. From Denmark it became known that caterpillars z. T. (mainly masse fresh thatched roofs Phragmites and Secale -Halme) developed. The species therefore benefits to a large extent from the biotopes offered by humans. This also explains their widespread use.
The moths fly mainly at night; but occasionally also during the day. They can often be found in settlement areas, especially where there are still haystacks, stables and barns. The moths have so far only been observed on buddleia ( Buddleja davidi ). However, they can also be baited and come to light at night.
Occurrence and distribution
The hay dust owl is common all over Europe. In the north, the distribution area extends beyond the Arctic Circle. It is only missing in the far north of Europe. The species is also found in North Africa, in the Middle East, on the northern Arabian Peninsula , in Central Asia to northern India . In the east the distribution area extends to the western provinces of China and Mongolia . Fibiger & Hacker, however, question the occurrence on the Amur . The north Indian populations are considered as a separate subspecies ( Paradrina clavipalpis harappa ). There are also smaller occurrences with their own subspecies on Madeira , the Canary Islands and the Cape Verde Islands . In Central Europe the species occurs from sea level to about 1000 m above sea level; in the Alps it rises to around 2000 m.
Systematics
The genus Paradrina was devalued by Hacker (2004) and Fibiger and Hacker (2007) to the subgenus of Caradrina . Here the species was already classified before the separation of Paradrina from Caradrina . Therefore, the species can also be found under the synonym Caradrina clavipalpis . It remains to be seen whether this change in the system will prevail. The species was first described by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1763 . Further descriptions were made under the name Phalaena grisea Hufnagel, 1766 Noctua quadripunctata Fabricius, 1775, Noctua cubicularis Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775, Noctua leucoptera Thunberg, 1791 Caradrina pulverosa Walker, [1857], Caradrina Avicula Krulikovsky, 1909 and Athetis clavipalpis f. mauretanica Draudt, 1934, which are more recent synonyms of Paradrina clavipalpis .
There are several subspecies:
- Paradrina clavipalpis clavipalpis Scopoli, 1763 (Europe, Middle East, North Africa)
- Paradrina clavipalpis harappa Hacker, 2004 (North India, Pakistan)
- Paradrina clavipalpis teidevolans Pinker, 1974 (Tenerife)
- Paradrina clavipalpis pinkeri Kobes, 1975 (Madeira)
- Paradrina clavipalpis fogoensis (Traub & Bauer), 1983 (Cape Verde Islands)
The population in North Africa, which was separated as the subspecies mauretanica Draudt in 1934, has recently been reunited with the nominate subspecies.
Danger
In the literature, the species is sometimes regarded as a migrant butterfly or at least suspected to migrate. This species certainly has a good ability to spread, but many remote occurrences can be traced back to the preference for anthropogenic biotopes (and to displacement). The species was often referred to as very common in the past. However, their stocks have decreased due to changed economic forms. In Baden-Württemberg it is therefore a type of advance warning.
literature
- Günter Ebert (Hrsg.): The Butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 6, Nachtfalter IV. 622 S., Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1997 (Eulen (Noctuidae) 2nd part), ISBN 3-8001-3482-9
- Michael Fibiger and Hermann Hacker: Noctuidae Europaeae Volume 9 Amphipyrinae, Condicinae, Eriopinae, Xyleninae (part). 410 pp., Entomological Press, Sorø 2007 ISBN 87-89430-11-5
- Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .
- Hermann Hacker: Revision of the genus Caradrina Ochsenheimer, 1816, with notes on other genera of the tribus Caradrini (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Esperiana, 10: 7-690, Schwanfeld 2004 ISBN 3-9802644-9-1
Web links
- www.lepiforum.de Taxonomy and photos
- Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms
- Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa
- Caradrina clavipalpis at Fauna Europaea
- UK Moths by Ian Kimber