Lythria plumularia

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Lythria plumularia
Lythria plumularia, female

Lythria plumularia , female

Systematics
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Spanner (Geometridae)
Subfamily : Sterrhinae
Tribe : Lythriini
Genre : Lythria
Type : Lythria plumularia
Scientific name
Lythria plumularia
( Freyer , 1831)

Lythria plumularia is a butterfly ( moth ) fromthe Spanner family (Geometridae). The specific epithet is based on the Latin word plumula with the meaning " little feather " and refers to the ciliate comb teeth of the antennae in males.

features

butterfly

The moths reach a wingspan of 19 to 22 millimeters. On the ocher-yellow, yellow-brown or gray-yellow upper side of the forewings, two broad purple-brown bands stand out, of which the middle one is sometimes interrupted or reduced. The root field is darkened. The upper side of the hind wing is yellow to yellow-brown, the root field dark. A purple-brown bandage beginning near the anal angle often does not reach the front edge . The intensity of the coloring and the design of all drawing elements vary considerably. The antennae of the males are provided with long comb teeth, those of the females are thread-shaped.

egg

The egg has a greenish color and an elongated oval shape. It is flattened at the ends, somewhat widened and depressed at the upper pole. The entire surface is covered with hexagonal dimples, which are delimited by sharp edges.

Caterpillar

Adult caterpillars are very slender and colored yellow-brown, reddish brown or dark brown. Their back line is light brown to yellowish gray, the side stripes are light yellow and white, the belly is light green. Three light vertical stripes and two buttons stand out clearly on the brownish head.

Doll

The yellow-green pupa is speckled brown, dyed a dull red-brown on the back and shows dark gray-green wing sheaths whose light green veins shine through. There are four strong and four fine bristles on the cremaster .

Similar species

The moths of the dock magpie ( Lythria cruentaria ), the knotweed magpie ( Lythria purpuraria ) and Lythria sanguinaria all differ in the lack of the flat dark purple-brown color at the roots of the fore and hind wings and an overall lighter appearance.

Distribution and occurrence

Shield dock ( Rumex scutatus ),
a food plant of caterpillars

The species occurs in the Alps at altitudes of 1500 to 2500 meters. It prefers to colonize dry alpine meadows, warm and stony slopes as well as damp depressions.

Way of life

The moths are diurnal and like to fly over alpine meadows in the sunshine. They appear in the Alps immediately after the snow melts and form a generation whose moths can be found from May to August, depending on the altitude. The caterpillars feed primarily on dock species ( Rumex ), in particular shield dock ( Rumex scutatus ) or meadow sorrel ( Rumex acetosa ). They develop between June and September. Pupation takes place in a coarse-meshed web in which the pupae overwinter.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Arnold Spuler: The butterflies of Europe , Volume 2, E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, 1910, p. 30
  2. ^ A b Axel Hausmann, Jaan Viidalepp: The Geometrid Moths of Europe . In: Axel Hausmann (Ed.): The Geometrid Moths of Europe . 1st edition. Volume 3: Larentiinae II . Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2012, ISBN 978-87-88757-39-2 (English). , Pp. 23/24
  3. ↑ Franz Gradl: lythria plumularia Frr. In Vorarlberg , journal of the Austrian Entomologists Association, 23rd year, 1938, p. 112 ff.
  4. ↑ a b c Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 5: Spanner. (Geometridae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-440-04951-5 , p. 56.
  5. ^ Karl Vorbrodt & J. Müller-Rutz: The butterflies of Switzerland , KJ Wyss publishing house, Bern, 1914, p. 34

literature

  • Axel Hausmann, Jaan Viidalepp: The Geometrid Moths of Europe . In: Axel Hausmann (Ed.): The Geometrid Moths of Europe . 1st edition. Volume 3: Larentiinae II . Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2012, ISBN 978-87-88757-39-2 (English).

Web links

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