Dandelion moth
| Dandelion moth | ||||||||||||
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Dandelion moth ( Lemonia taraxaci ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Lemonia taraxaci | ||||||||||||
| ( Denis & Schiffermüller , 1775) |
The dandelion Spinner ( Lemonia Taraxaci ) even Dandelion lemoniidae is a butterfly from the family of lemoniidae and off the hawkweed Spinner (Lemonia dumi) is the only representative of this family in Central Europe.
features
The wingspan of the moth varies between 45 and 65 millimeters. The males are smaller than the females. The body is very hairy, strongly brownish-yellow on the head and black on the abdomen. The wings are single colored matt yellow. lighter in the female. Only the males show a very small black discoid spot on the forewings . The antennae are long and closely combed in the male, combed short in the female. The caterpillars are up to 70 millimeters long, are dark brown in color with large black spots on each segment on both sides and hairy yellow-brown.
Occurrence
The species occurs very locally and rarely in southern Central Europe, including southern and central Germany, preferably on dry, sunny meadows and slopes. In the Mediterranean and Middle East, the species is found more frequently in places.
Way of life
The males fly during the day in search of the females. The flight takes place preferably in sunshine over open, dry meadows and is very fast and unsteady. The females sit close to the ground during the day and send out pheromones to attract the males. The lifespan of adults is very short, as they can not eat any food due to the lack of a suction trunk .
Flight and caterpillar times
The dandelion moths fly mostly from August to October. The caterpillars live from May to July.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars mainly feed on the leaves of hawkweed and dandelion .
Hazard and protection
The species is considered endangered and is classified in category 1 of the Red List of Threatened Species in Germany.
swell
- Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 2: Bears, Spinners, Swarmers and Drills in Germany. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Radebeul / Berlin 1964, DNB 452481929 .
