Monk tooth spinner

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Monk tooth spinner
Monk tooth moth (Odontosia carmelita)

Monk tooth moth ( Odontosia carmelita )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Toothed Moth (Notodontidae)
Subfamily : Notodontinae
Genre : Odontosia
Type : Monk tooth spinner
Scientific name
Odontosia carmelita
( Esper , 1799)

The monk tooth spinner ( Odontosia carmelita ), formerly also known as the Carmelite , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of tooth spinners (Notodontidae).

features

Imago

The moths reach a wingspan of 32 to 42 millimeters. They have wings colored in different reddish-brown tones. The forewings have a clear yellowish white spike on the upper edge near the wing tip and sometimes another, smaller and more indistinct spike of the same color in the middle. At the inner edge is the scallop tooth typical of most species of tooth moth. The palps are short, the trunk withered. The antennae of the males are sawtooth-like and ciliate, those of the females are short sawtooth-like. The thorax is thickly woolly, the abdomen is shorter with hair.

egg

The egg is hemispherical, bluish-white or greenish in color and finely dotted with dark spots.

Caterpillar

The adult caterpillars are slightly flattened and yellow-green in color. They have numerous flat yellowish wrinkles on their backs. There is a white and yellow vertical stripe on the sides. In it lie black stigmas with a red background . The head is incised and colored bright green.

Doll

The doll is black-brown in color, stocky, with a blunt rounded cremaster without thorns.

Occurrence

The species is found in Europe to far north, including Finland and Northern Ireland , in the east to Russia , but is less common in the south. It inhabits different habitats, such as B. birch forests, birch trees, moors and parks.

Way of life

The nocturnal moths fly early in the year, mainly from late March to May, and also visit artificial light sources . When at rest they keep the wings roof-shaped. The females lay the eggs on the underside of the leaves of the forage plant. The caterpillars can be found from June to August. They like to stay in the treetops, but pupate in a web in the earth. The overwintering takes place in the pupal stage.

Food of the caterpillars

The caterpillars feed mainly on the leaves of birch trees ( Betulae ), occasionally also on alder ( Alnus ).

Hazard and protection

The species can be found in different numbers in the individual federal states in Germany, is rare in some areas, but is not considered to be acutely endangered. On the occurrence and endangerment in Austria: The species is very local and also quite rare in the disjoint areas. In Upper Austria, O. carmelita was only found in very few places and it is becoming fewer and fewer. Ecologically, this butterfly is one of the most interesting species in our fauna. Although the caterpillar lives on one of the most widespread and common plants, the species is found in very few places in the country. This is to be interpreted as a high altitude adaptation, which must probably be seen as a preference for climatically very mild locations.

literature

Web links

Commons : Monk Spinner ( Odontosia carmelita )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 3: Spinners and Swarmers (Bombyces and Sphinges). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1960, DNB 456642196 .
  2. ↑ a b c Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 2: Bears, Spinners, Swarmers and Drills in Germany. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Radebeul / Berlin 1964, DNB 452481929 .
  3. ↑ Gerfried Deschka, Josef Wimmer: Ecological valence analysis with large butterflies as indicators in the community of Waldhausen in Upper Austria. In: Yearbook of the Upper Austrian Museum Association. Society for Regional Studies, Linz 1996 ( PDF on ZOBODAT ).