Burdock owl

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Burdock owl
Burdock Owl (Gortyna flavago)

Burdock Owl ( Gortyna flavago )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Xyleninae
Genre : Gortyna
Type : Burdock owl
Scientific name
Gortyna flavago
( Denis & Schiffermüller , 1775)

The burdock owl ( Gortyna flavago , Syn . : Gortyna ochracea ) 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 fore wings are short and broad compared to other Gortyna species. Their upper side is golden yellow to reddish yellow in color. Kidney, cone and ring blemishes are large and outlined in reddish brown. A narrow, purple-brown band can be seen in front of the inner transverse line. The submarginal region also shows a purple-brown color. There is a yellowish spot near the apex . The dark veins stand out slightly on the gray-white hind wings.

egg

The egg is flattened on the upper and lower part and covered with numerous very fine longitudinal ribs. It initially has a light yellow color, which changes to orange-brownish tones with brown spots shortly before the caterpillars hatch.

Caterpillar

Fully grown caterpillars are glassy, ​​dirty white-gray to yellow-gray in color and have black point warts. The head and pronotum are colored black-brown.

Doll

The slender doll is shiny red-brown in color and has two short tips on the head and two thorns on the cremaster .

Similar species

Similar Gortyna species occurring in the same area of ​​distribution show longer stretched forewings and are also usually considerably larger overall. In cases of doubt, a genital morphological examination should be used for determination. The very similar species Gortyna fortis and Gortyna basalipuncta found in East Asia have no geographical overlap with the burdock owl .

distribution and habitat

The main distribution area of ​​the species includes western Europe and extends eastward to the Urals and the Altai . In the Alps , it rises to an altitude of 1,400 meters. The burdock owl prefers to live on moist meadows, in moorland and bank areas, swamp forests, on the edges of streams, ponds and lakes as well as on ruderal areas .

Way of life

The predominantly nocturnal moths fly in one generation per year from August to October. Individual moths were also found in November. They sometimes appear on artificial light sources , occasionally also on baits and have been observed sucking on the blossoms of the butterfly lilac ( Buddleja davidii ). The caterpillars live from April to August in medullary stems of many different plants, including:

Pupation takes place upside down in the stem of the respective food plant. The caterpillar creates an escape hole above the pupation point. The species overwinters as an egg.

Danger

The burdock owl can be found widespread in many regions of Germany and is classified as “not endangered” on the Red List of Endangered Species in most federal states, but is on the warning list in North Rhine-Westphalia .

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Alberto Zilli, László Ronkay, Michael Fibiger: Noctuidae Europaeae Volume 8 Apameini. Entomological Press, Sorø 2005, ISBN 87-89430-09-3
  2. ↑ a b c 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 d Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 7. Moth V (Noctuidae 3rd part). Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1998. ISBN 3-8001-3500-0
  4. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9

literature

  • Arno Bergmann: The large butterflies of Central Germany. Volume 4/2: Owls. Distribution, forms and communities. Urania-Verlag, Jena 1954, DNB 450378381 .
  • Alberto Zilli, László Ronkay, Michael Fibiger: Noctuidae Europaeae Volume 8 Apameini. Entomological Press, Sorø 2005, ISBN 87-89430-09-3
  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 7. Moth V (Noctuidae 3rd part). Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1998. ISBN 3-8001-3500-0
  • Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 .
  • Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .

Web links

Commons : Burdock Owl  - Collection of images, videos and audio files