Small welted grass owl

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Small welted grass owl
Small welted grass owl (Mythimna sicula)

Small welted grass owl ( Mythimna sicula )

Systematics
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Hadeninae
Genre : Sablia
Subgenus : Mythimna
Type : Small welted grass owl
Scientific name
Mythimna sicula
( Treitschke , 1835)

The small root-welted grass owl ( Mythimna sicula ), sometimes also called Treitschke's white-armed owl , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae).

description

butterfly

The wingspan of the moth is 26 to 32 millimeters. The forewing upper side varies in white-yellow to yellow-gray colors. Sometimes a few blackish scales can be seen. There are no flaws. There is a black point on the discoid transverse artery , the end of the cell is whitish. The veins are also whitish. A black-brown root welt stands out clearly. Some specimens show a dotted outer transverse line. The upper side of the hind wing is colored white-gray without drawing.

Caterpillar

Adult caterpillars have a light brown to gray-yellow color, a light, dark-edged topline, dark-brown, broad black-brown secondary ridges with a light border, and several narrow brownish to reddish side stripes.

Similar species

The slightly darker colored butterflies were sometimes considered as a separate species under the name Mythimna scirpi in the 20th century . Extensive genital morphological investigations revealed differences, but sometimes also similarities and transitions to Mythimna sicula . Boursin and Hacker regard this as variability within a species and view Mythimna sicula and Mythimna scirpi as two forms of the same species. Further analyzes are necessary for final clarification. The similar Mythimna opaca is much darker in overall appearance than Mythimna sicula .

distribution and habitat

The small rhizome grass owl occurs locally in Central Europe and the North African Mediterranean countries. The f. sicula prefers dry, calcareous meadows and slopes as habitat, which f. scirpi is found mainly on wet meadows as well as in moors and riverside areas.

Way of life

The species forms two to three generations per year, which can be found from February to October. At higher altitudes, only one generation appears between May and July. The moths fly to artificial light sources and appear on baits . The food plants of the caterpillars are various sweet grasses (Poaceae).

swell

literature

  • Günter Ebert, Axel Steiner: The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg - Volume 7, Moths V (Owls (Noctuidae) 3rd part). Ulmer, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-800-13500-0 , pp. 282-286
  • Hermann Hacker, László Ronkay, Márton Hreblay: Noctuidae Europaeae vol. 4 Hadeninae I . Entomological Press, Sorø 2002, ISBN 87-89430-07-7 , pp. 183/184
  • Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 , pp. 112-113.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Hermann Hacker, László Ronkay, Márton Hreblay: Noctuidae Europaeae vol. 4 Hadeninae I . Entomological Press, Sorø 2002, ISBN 87-89430-07-7 , pp. 183/184
  2. ↑ caterpillar images (entomologist portal)
  3. ^ Günter Ebert, Axel Steiner: The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg - Volume 7, Moth V (Owls (Noctuidae) 3rd part). Ulmer, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-800-13500-0 , pp. 282-286

Web links

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