Melanthia alaudaria

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Melanthia alaudaria
Melanthia alaudaria.jpg

Melanthia alaudaria

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Spanner (Geometridae)
Subfamily : Larentiinae
Genre : Melanthia
Type : Melanthia alaudaria
Scientific name
Melanthia alaudaria
( Freyer , 1846)

Melanthia alaudaria , sometimes also called Alpine vines leaf tensioner , is a butterfly ( moth ) fromthe tensioner family (Geometridae).

features

butterfly

The wingspan of the moth is 18 to 24 millimeters. The basic color of the forewings is creamy white to bright white. Dark colored specimens also occur in some areas. The root field is markedly black-brown in color. In the same color, a large spot on the front edge stands out near the center. From the apex a wide, dark fringe runs along the outer edge of the fore wing, which continues on the hind wings. A thin white wavy line can be seen in it. Individual or w-shaped white tips that protrude into the dark fringing areas are typical of the species. Fore and hind wings each show a black discal spot.

Caterpillar

Adult caterpillars are greenish in color. On the back and sides they have several yellowish lines and stripes. The segment incisions are also colored yellow.

Doll

The pupa is light brown and provided with greenish shimmering wing sheaths. The cremaster is colored green or rusty brown, is large and wide and flattened in a triangular shape and provided with two bristles standing close together. These are curved at the top. In addition, there are four even finer bristles on each side, which are rolled up at the tip.

Similar species

Similar black and white drawing elements, especially on the forewings, also show the butterflies of the petrel ( Melanthia procellata ), the blackberry leaf wrench ( Mesoleuca albicillata ), the milk-white leaf wrench ( Plemyria rubiginata ), the primate harlequin ( Ligdia adustata ) and the brown leaf wrench ( Catarhoe cuculata ). However, all of the aforementioned species are larger and lack the white incision in the dark fringing areas of the forewings. In addition, the dark edge on the hind wings is often less developed.

Geographical distribution and occurrence

Melanthia alaudaria is distributed locally in Central Europe. It can be found in large numbers in the Eastern Alps and is still found there at an altitude of 1,800 meters. The species prefers to inhabit alpine forest regions.

Way of life

The moths fly from late May to early July. During the day they can sometimes be seen in the partial shade of bushes. They usually sit with their wings spread flat, with the drawing of the front wings and the drawing of the rear wings giving an uninterrupted, gapless overall picture. At dusk they sometimes appear for mating flight over damp grass fields. At night they sometimes visit artificial light sources . The caterpillars live in July and August and feed on the leaves of clematis species ( Clematis ). They pupate in a light web on the earth. The species overwinters as a pupa.

Danger

Melanthia alaudaria occurs in Germany only in Bavaria and is listed as not endangered on the Red List of Endangered Species .

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 5: Spanner. (Geometridae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-440-04951-5 .
  2. ↑ a b Ludwig Osthelder: The butterflies of southern Bavaria and the adjacent northern Limestone Alps, Part I, Die Großschmetterlinge, 3rd issue, Spanner. Supplement to the 19th year of the Munich Entomological Society, 1929
  3. ↑ Heinz Habeler : Wing posture at rest with geometrids (Lepidoptera) and the puzzling overall picture effect , Joannea Zoologie 10, pp. 123–130, Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz, 2008
  4. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .

literature

Web links

Commons : Melanthia alaudaria  - collection of images, videos and audio files