Lythria sanguinaria

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Lythria sanguinaria
Lythria sanguinaria, female

Lythria sanguinaria , female

Systematics
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Spanner (Geometridae)
Subfamily : Sterrhinae
Tribe : Lythriini
Genre : Lythria
Type : Lythria sanguinaria
Scientific name
Lythria sanguinaria
( Duponchel , 1842)

Lythria sanguinaria is a butterfly ( moth ) fromthe Spanner family (Geometridae). The specific epithet is based on the Latin word sanguinarius meaning "bloodthirsty" and refers to the red color on the upper side of the forewing of the butterfly.

features

butterfly

The moths usually reach a wingspan of 20 to 26 millimeters. Occasionally there are also butterflies with a minimum wingspan of 18 millimeters. On the ocher-yellow, yellow-brown or greenish-yellow upper side of the forewings, three narrow purple-red bands stand out, of which the middle and the outer reach the inner edge . The outer band is often broken up into points. The intensity of the coloring varies considerably depending on the season of the occurrence. The upper side of the hind wings is yellow to yellow-orange without drawing. The proboscis is weak. The antennae of the males are provided with long comb teeth on both sides, those of the females are thread-shaped.

Similar species

When lythria cruentaria ( lythria cruentaria ) the purple cross bands are usually much wider than in lythria sanguinaria . The knotweed purple spanner ( Lythria purpuraria ) has narrower wings, the cross bars usually do not reach the inner edge. Both of the aforementioned types differ significantly in that they only show two purple-red cross bars. Lythria plumularia is distinguished by the flat purple-brown color at the base of the fore and hind wings and the overall darker appearance.

Distribution and occurrence

Burdock madder ( Rubia peregrina ),
the main food of the caterpillars

The species occurs in Spain , Portugal and the French Pyrenees . Lythria sanguinaria primarily inhabits warm, stony slopes, mountainous dry grasslands and wasteland. In the Pyrenees, the species was found at altitudes of 2200 meters.

Way of life

The diurnal moths like to fly in the sunshine. They appear in two generations, a spring generation from the end of April to mid-June and immediately afterwards a summer generation from mid-June to the end of August. The caterpillars are oliophagous and feed primarily on the flowers and seeds of the burdock madder ( Rubia peregrina ), which belongs to the plant genus of the red dye . The pupae of the summer generation overwinter.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ 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. 27-29
  2. ^ Occurrence in France
  3. ↑ Victor M. Redondo, Javier Gaston, Ramon Gimeno: Geometridae Ibericae , Apollo Books, Stenstrup, 2009, ISBN 978-87-88757-81-1 , p. 172

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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