Ocher-bound velvet butterfly

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Ocher-bound velvet butterfly
Velvet butterfly (Hipparchia semele)

Velvet butterfly ( Hipparchia semele )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Noble butterfly (Nymphalidae)
Subfamily : Eye butterflies (Satyrinae)
Genre : Hipparchia
Type : Ocher-bound velvet butterfly
Scientific name
Hipparchia semele
( Linnaeus , 1758)
Underside of Hipparchia semele
Egg from Hipparchia semele
Caterpillar of Hipparchia semele

The ocher banded velvet butterfly ( Hipparchia semele ), also called rust bandage , is a butterfly (day butterfly ) from the noble butterfly family (Nymphalidae). The species name is derived from Semele , the mother of Dionysus from Greek mythology .

The ocher cohesive Samtfalter was after a proposal from the Association of Rhine-Westphalian Lepidopterologen eV from the BUND founded National Association Nordrhein-Westfalen eV BUND NRW Conservation Foundation on the butterfly of the year chosen of 2005. A detailed report was published on this in the journal 'Melanargia', published by the Working Group of Rheinisch-Westfälischer Lepidopterologen (17th year, issue 1). The reason for the choice was the fact that its existence in Germany is endangered. With the choice of the 'butterfly of the year', the way of life, the risk factors and the necessary protective measures of the respective species should be discussed in detail.

features

The ocher-bound velvet butterfly got its name from the rust-red to ocher-colored banding on the upper side of the front and rear wings. In these bandages sit two black eye-spots with conspicuous white cores on the forewing; there is only one eye spot on the hind wing. The species is very variable depending on the ecological factors and therefore in some cases can only be reliably distinguished from other species by a genital examination . In the Mediterranean region, this is necessary for the safe delimitation of related species. The moths reach a wingspan of 42 to 50 millimeters.

  • ♂

  • ♂ △

  • ♀

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Similar species

At a cursory glance, it can be confused with the large forest porter or the small forest porter.

Subspecies

  • Hipparchia semele leighebi Kudrna, 1976 Volcano, Aeolian Islands , Italy . The top is colored orange, the scent scales are about 30% longer. For some authors this is a separate type.

to form

As already mentioned above, various location factors lead to different forms:

  • f. cadamus Frustorfer, reduced yellow-orange post-disk band on the upper side of the forewing of the male, Sicily
  • f. wilkinsoni Kudrna, resembles the nominate subspecies, the male genital apparatus is disproportionately larger.

Way of life

The butterflies lay their eggs in midsummer, the hatching caterpillars feed on grasses, especially fescue species, and overwinter when they are young . In early summer the caterpillar digs into the upper soil layers to pupate. For this it needs sandy, dry, warm soils without dense vegetation, preferably with open spaces. Such conditions can be found on lean limestone drifts and sand dunes , but also in man-made secondary habitats such as heather areas or military training areas, where the vegetation is reduced through grazing or the movement of military vehicles. Therefore, the ocher velvet butterfly occurs in Germany only in isolated island-like populations. In Munich in the Fröttmaninger Heide , in North Rhine-Westphalia z. B. in the Senne , the former ammunition depot Brüggen-Bracht or the Drover Heide . The species is very common in the dunes and heathland of the German North Sea coast. Here the rust band occurs regularly and in a stable population.

Flight time

The ocher velvet butterfly flies in one generation from June to September. The males hatch earlier than the females; the main flight time is in midsummer from July to August.

distribution

The population of the ocher velvet butterfly is declining overall, as many of the nutrient and vegetation-poor areas that are essential for the butterfly are overgrown due to the nitrogen input from the air that gets into the soil through the rain. The main reasons for this “fertilization from the air” are car exhaust fumes and intensive agriculture . In order to ensure the continued existence of the butterfly in the long term, in addition to local measures such as keeping heather open and military use on military training areas , global activities to reduce exhaust emissions and fertilization in agriculture are required.

The ocher velvet butterfly is widespread almost all over Europe. Its area extends from Portugal to southern Fennoscandia (including Funen , Sjælland , Lolland , Falster , Bornholm , Öland , Gotland and Åland ). It is also widespread in southern Serbia and Romania as well as in Bulgaria . In Great Britain , Scandinavia and the Baltic States , it occurs mostly in the coastal areas. It is not represented in Albania , Macedonia and most parts of southern Bulgaria and the Mediterranean islands except for northern and eastern Sicily . The species can also be seen in northern Greece . The distribution in Eastern and Southeastern Europe is poorly known due to the possible confusion with other species.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Arnold Spuler: The butterflies of Europe . tape 1 . E. Schweitzerbartsche Verlagbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1908, p. 43 .

literature

  • Butterflies. 2. Special part: Satyridae, Libytheidae, Lycaenidae, Hesperiidae . In: Günter Ebert, Erwin Rennwald (eds.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 2 . Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1991, ISBN 3-8001-3459-4 .
  • Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: The butterflies of Europe and Northwest Africa . Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-440-07573-7 .
  • Hans-Josef Weidemann: Butterflies: observe, determine . Naturbuch-Verlag, Augsburg 1995, ISBN 3-89440-115-X .
  • Michael Schroers: The rust bandage Hipparchia semele - butterfly of the year 2005. In: MELANARGIA. XVII. Volume, Issue 1, Leverkusen 2006, ISSN  0941-3170

Web links

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