Lindswarmers
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Linden hawk ( Mimas tiliae ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Mimas tiliae | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The Lindenschwärmer ( Mimas tiliae ) is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the swarmers (Sphingidae). The caterpillars of the linden swarm eat the leaves of various deciduous trees, the moths no longer eat. The medium-sized species is widespread and common in Central Europe.
features
butterfly
The moths reach a wingspan of 60 to 80 millimeters. Although the coloration of the animals is very variable and males and females also differ ( sexual dimorphism ), the species is unmistakable in its range. As with all species of the genus Mimas , the outer edge of the forewing is wavy, and the proboscis is very short and receded. The basic color of the animals is fox red, brown, gray, yellow or green. The forewings of the females are mostly brownish, those of the males are clearly greenish. The abdomen of the females has straight margins and is very thick, since most eggs are fully developed after hatching from the pupa . The abdomen of the males, on the other hand, is slimmer and clearly curved upwards. The pattern of the wings is also very variable. The wide, dark band running centrally over the forewing can be drawn through, interrupted or completely absent. Gynandromorphism is common.
Mimas tiliae ♂
Mimas tiliae ♂ △
Mimas tiliae ♀
Mimas tiliae ♀ △
Caterpillars
The caterpillars are 55 to 65 millimeters long and are green or blue-gray. After hatching, the still very slim animals are pale green and about six millimeters long. The anal horn is dark and about as long as a third of the body. Gradually, light yellow, later dark yellow diagonal stripes form on the side of the body. In the fourth stage, small red stripes can form on the front of the diagonal stripes. The body is then yellow or blue-green in color and has numerous small yellow tubercles . Adult caterpillars are slimmer than those of the other species in the genus. Your body is significantly slimmer at the front than at the back. The head capsule is almost triangular. The anal horn is blue or purple on top, the sides and bottom are red and yellow. The anal plate is reddish yellow and provided with tubercles. Shortly before pupation, the animals turn pale green-violet on the underside and gray-brown on the top. The tubercles are then cream-colored and the red stripes fade. The animals' bodies shrink significantly at this stage.
distribution
The Linde enthusiasts come in Central and Southern Europe , the north and west of Turkey east on the Trans-Caucasus , Dagestan , Azerbaijan and northern Iran to the West Siberia before, where it east to Tomsk , Novosibirsk , Achinsk , Kulunda and Bijsk has demonstrated . The species is absent in Ireland , Scotland , northern Scandinavia, and arctic Russia . The northernmost deposit in Russia is near Objachevo in the Komi Republic . In Spain and Portugal the species is known almost only from the north; only a small population can be found in the mountains of central Spain. In the Alps , the moths occur up to around 1500 meters above sea level.
The moths rarely stay far away from deciduous forests , where they prefer open river valleys with rich stands of linden ( Tilia ) and elm ( Ulmus ). But you can also find them, especially in Central Europe, in gardens and plantations with cherry trees and in avenues and parks, even in cities. Damp mountain slopes with green alder ( Alnus viridis ) are also populated.
Way of life
The adults hatch in the morning and first rest on the branches of the food plants in order to fully unfold their wings. After that, most of the moths fly into the foliage, between which mating also takes place. As is usual with swarmers, the male is coupled with the body in the opposite direction to the abdomen of the female. Mating can take up to 20 hours, after which the male drops to the ground and flies away at sunset. The female flies shortly after sunset and starts laying eggs immediately. The moths only fly for a short time, so they can hardly be observed about two hours after sunset. Because of their receding proboscis, they cannot take in food and therefore do not fly to flowers. Males are strongly attracted by light sources and unmated females.
Flight and caterpillar times
The species flies in northern Europe in one generation from late May to early July, further south in two in May and August. In Bulgaria the moths fly in May and June as well as in July and August, in Spain from late April to mid-September. In the southern Urals they fly from late May to early July and in a second, partial generation from late July to early August. The caterpillars are found from July to September, those of the second generation occasionally until October.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed mainly on many different species of linden ( Tilia ), elm ( Ulmus ), alder ( Alnus ) and Prunus species. In Northern and Central Europe, silver birch ( Betula pendula ), oak ( Quercus ), common hazel ( Corylus avellana ), maple ( Acer ) and whitebeam ( Sorbus ) are also eaten; all of these plants can be used as the main food in some areas such as the rowanberry ( Sorbus aucuparia ) in the Alpine region. The species is also occasionally found on apples ( Malus ), pears ( Pyrus ) and ash trees ( Fraxinus ). In the more southern areas, real walnuts ( Juglans regia ), sweet chestnuts ( Castanea sativa ), horse chestnuts ( Aesculus hippocastanum ) and mulberries ( Morus ) are also eaten.
development
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The females lay up to 130 eggs, usually in pairs, on the underside of the food plants. This is preferably done in the crown area of the trees. The eggs are 1.75 by 1.40 millimeters in size, clearly flattened along the back and abdomen and shiny pale olive green. The newly hatched caterpillars do not eat the egg shell, but look for a suitable resting place on the underside of a leaf. There they stay upright, typical for enthusiasts, and only eat at night. Before the first molt, the animals are about 11 millimeters long. Occasionally one can observe mass appearances of the animals. Before pupation, the caterpillars move wildly back and forth in the event of disturbances. Pupation takes place under loose tufts of grass or occasionally under moist leaves and flat stones. Bare ground is avoided, but some animals rarely bury themselves one to two centimeters deep in loose, pebbly or muddy soil. It is rare to find dolls high up on trees in cracks in the bark or below loose bark. The pupa is 30 to 35 millimeters long and very dark brown in color, but has a reddish sheen. Unlike most swarmers, their surface is not shiny, but rough. The pupa hibernates.
Specialized enemies
The caterpillars of the linden swarm are attacked by several specialized parasitoids . It is parasitic wasps ( Callajoppa cirrogaster , Lymantrichneumon disparis , Pimpla hypochondriaca and Pimpla illecebrator ) braconids ( Microplitis ocellatae and Aleiodes praetor ) and Tachinidae ( Compsilura concinnata , Pales pavida and Winthemia cruentata ). The females of these species lay their eggs on the caterpillars, in which the larvae then develop. Pupation usually takes place on the outside of the previously dead caterpillar.
Hazard and protection
The linden hawk is not endangered due to its adaptability to urban habitats such as gardens and parks and due to its wide range of food plants. Felling of linden tree avenues or air pollution and the associated damage, especially to summer linden trees, can cause local populations to decline.
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Sphingidae of the Western Palaearctic. AR Pittaway, accessed September 15, 2008 .
literature
- Günter Ebert (Ed.): The Butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 4, Moths II (Bombycidae, Endromidae, Lasiocampidae, Lemoniidae, Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Drepanidae, Notodontidae, Dilobidae, Lymantriidae, Ctenuchidae, Nolidae). Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1994. ISBN 3-8001-3474-8
- Ian J. Kitching, Jean-Marie Cadiou: Hawkmoths of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Revisionary Checklist (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Cornell University Press, New York 2000, ISBN 0-8014-3734-2 .
- Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 2: Bears, Spinners, Swarmers and Drills in Germany. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Radebeul / Berlin 1964, DNB 452481929 .
- AR Pittaway: The Hawkmoths of the western Palaearctic. Harley Books 1993, ISBN 0-946589-21-6
- Hans-Josef Weidemann, Jochen Köhler: Moths. Weirdos and hawkers. Naturbuch-Verlag, Augsburg 1996, ISBN 3-89440-128-1 .
Web links
- www.lepiforum.de: Taxonomy and photos
- www.schmetterling-raupe.de
- Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa (English)
- Mimas tiliae at Fauna Europaea
