Ocher-colored steppe heather dwarf species
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Ocher-colored steppe heather dwarf fly ( Idaea ochrata ) |
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| Idaea ochrata | ||||||||||||
| ( Scopoli , 1763) |
The ocher-colored steppe heather dwarf spanner ( Idaea ochrata ) is a butterfly ( moth ) from the spanner family (Geometridae).
features
The moths have a wingspan of 18 to 23 millimeters, with the females being slightly smaller on average. The moths of the population in Sicily are a little larger (21 to 25 millimeters), stunted forms can measure only 17 millimeters. The basic color of the fore and hind wings ranges from light brown and ocher brown to reddish brown. Gray forms are also very rare. The ornamentation is variable. In general, the inner transverse line, center band and outer transverse line are clearly defined. The central band is often diffuse, the inner transverse line can also be almost extinguished on the fore wing, and it is usually absent on the hind wing. The wavy line is also often easily recognizable, hem lines and hem stains can also be present. The discal spots are almost always absent on the front wing, but they are mostly present on the hind wings. They sit clearly at the root of the central band.
The egg is yellow at first, but later it turns brown before the egg caterpillar hatches. The surface has strong longitudinal ribs that intersect with finer transverse ribs.
The greenish to yellowish gray colored caterpillars are relatively thick, but become a little slimmer towards the front end. The back line consists of two fine, gray lines, the side back lines are only indicated by fine gray and incomplete rows of dots. There are two black dots at the end of each segment on the stomach side. The relatively small head is flat and bright red in color.
The pupa is maroon and glossy with the rear end being a little darker in color.
Occurrence and habitat
The species is widespread in Central Europe and the Mediterranean region. The distribution area extends from the Iberian Peninsula and France in the west, through Germany, Poland, the Ukraine and southern Russia to Kazakhstan (occurrence still questionable) and in the south from Morocco via North Africa, Asia Minor, the Caucasus region and northern Iran to Afghanistan. In England there is only a small occurrence in the southeast, and in Denmark there are only smaller occurrences. The species has only been native to Sweden since 1996, and evidence is also available from southern Finland. The occurrence in Germany in particular shows large gaps. The focus of distribution is there in Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and northern Saxony, while the species in other federal states z. Sometimes it is completely absent or threatened with extinction. In East Germany it seems to be expanding.
In the Iberian Peninsula (with the exception of Catalonia and the Basque Country ), in Morocco and western Algeria, the nominate subspecies is replaced by the subspecies Idaea ochrata albida .
The species loves warmth and prefers open, dry grasslands, sun-exposed slopes, often with sandy or chalky soils, but also moist heather and moorland.
In the north of the distribution area it occurs from the plain to the hilly landscapes at a height of approx. 500 meters. In the Alps it rises up to 1500 meters, in the Mediterranean area also up to 2000 meters. In Asia Minor, the occurrence is essentially limited to the altitude range of 1500 to 2200 meters.
Phenology and way of life
The moths fly in one generation from mid-June to mid-August. On some of the southern Mediterranean islands, the flight season begins in early May and ends in late June. The flight time of the moths of the subspecies albida begins at the end of April and can drag on until mid-July. The moths can easily be roused from the vegetation. Sometimes they also fly around during the day, but the main activity is at dusk. In Central Europe they rarely fly to artificial light sources, but much more frequently in Southern Europe. The moths suck nectar on oregano ( Origanum vulgare ), yellow woof ( Reseda lutea ) and pigeon scabiosis ( Scabiosa columbaria ). The eggs are dropped by the females in flight.
The caterpillars grow very slowly. They feed on withered or dry plant material of herbaceous plants and grasses. Detected as food plants are Vicia tetrasperma ( Vicia tetrasperma ), Compositae (Asteraceae), Rubiaceae (Rubiaceae), Brassicaceae (Brassicaceae), Salzmiere ( Honkenya peploides ), Stellaria media ( Stellaria media ), Potentilla ( Potentilla ), forget-me-not ( Myosotis ) and fescue ( Festuca ). In breeding, the caterpillars can also be kept with other plants, such as B. with Exceptional dandelion ( officinale Taraxacum ), knotweed ( Polygonum aviculare ), Kleinköpfigem Pippau ( Crepis capillaris ), Exceptional bitter herbs ( Picris hieracioides ), Autumn dandelion ( Leontodon autumnalis ), coltsfoot ( Tussilago farfara ), Common goldenrod ( Solidago virgaurea ) , Creeping Restharrow ( Ononis repens ), Bedstraws ( Galium ), Common Horned Clover ( Lotus corniculatus ) and others. The caterpillars overwinter and pupate in spring.
Systematics
The species was first described in 1763 by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli as Phalaena ochrata . The type locality is in Slovenia. In 1781 Johann Christian Fabricius described the species under the name Phalaena corrigata . Other names with which this species was designated are: Phalaena ochrearia Cabinet, 1802, Acidalia ochrearia var. Sicula Zeller, 1847 and Acidalia accretata Fuchs, 1901. There are also some misspellings (ochreata, ochraria etc.), which are often can be found mainly in older literature. The species is currently divided into two subspecies: the nominate subspecies I. ochrata ochrata and Idaea ochrata albida Zerny, 1936. However, the latter is possibly to be regarded as a separate species. It differs in the very light basic color and the fringes, which have the same color as the cross lines. There are also differences in the genital system, both in males and females. The forms cantiata Prout, 1934 and sicula Zeller, 1847, which were also previously recognized as subspecies , do not show any constant differences to the nominate subspecies and are therefore considered synonyms of Idaea ochrata ochrata .
Danger
The species is classified in the Red List of Threatened Species in Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony in category 2 (severely endangered) and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as endangered (category 3). In Lower Saxony it is acutely threatened with extinction, in Thuringia and North Rhine-Westphalia it is already extinct. The reasons for the decline are the intensive agriculture (very early mowing of the hay) and grazing of meadows even in winter (e.g. in England).
swell
literature
- Axel Hausmann: The Geometrid moths of Europe, 2nd Sterrhinae. In A. Hausmann (Ed.): The Geometrid Moths of Europe 2. Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2004, ISBN 87-88757-37-4
- Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 5: Spanner. (Geometridae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-440-04951-5 .
- Günter Ebert (Hrsg.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 8, Nachtfalter VI (Spanner (Geometridae) 1st part), Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 2001. ISBN 3-800-13497-7
Individual evidence
- ↑ Hausmann, pp. 75-77
- ↑ Red lists in science4you
Web links
- Idaea ochrata at Fauna Europaea
- www.lepiforum.de Taxonomy and photos
- Ian Kimber: Guide to the moths of Great Britain and Ireland (English)
- Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa (English)
- Chris Jonko - European Butterflies