Poplar Owl Moth

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Poplar Owl Moth
Poplar Owl Moth (Tethea or)

Poplar Owl Moth ( Tethea or )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Owl Moth and Sicklewing (Drepanidae)
Subfamily : Owl Spinner (Thyatirinae)
Genre : Tethea
Type : Poplar Owl Moth
Scientific name
Tethea or
( Denis , & Schiffermüller , 1755)

The poplar owl moth ( Tethea or ) is a butterfly from the family of the owl moth and sickle winged moth (Drepanidae).

features

The moths reach a wingspan of 38 to 43 millimeters. While the hind wings are almost monochrome gray, a gray pattern can be seen on the forewings. In the basal field there is a dark band that directly adjoins the inner cross flaws. In general, the flaws are relatively small if you z. B. with those of the owl moth ( Tethea ocularis ). The blemishes are colored white. There are also black forms of moths ( melanism ). These are solid black, have conspicuous white blemishes and are labeled as f. albigensis Warnecke.

Similar species

  • Typical drawing

  • Gray color morphs

  • Black color morphs with very weak blemishes

Occurrence

The animals are common in Europe , except in the far north and parts of the Mediterranean region , east to Japan and are widespread. They prefer the edges of forests and clearings, but also in the country strokes with hedges or other copses and scrubby heathens and moors are to find them. The species does not like warm and dry areas.

Way of life

Flight and caterpillar times

The moths fly in two generations from late April to July and from July to August. The generations mostly overlap in their flight times. The caterpillars from the eggs of the first generation are found from August to September, those of the second in July of the following year.

Food of the caterpillars

The food plants of the caterpillars are aspens ( Populus tremula ) and other poplars ( Populus ) and also willows .

development

The caterpillars live coiled between two leaves, they overwinter as a pupa on the ground between leaves before they hatch in the next spring.

Synonyms

Cymatophora or

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Manfred Koch : We identify butterflies. Volume 2: Bears, Spinners, Swarmers and Drills in Germany. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Radebeul / Berlin 1964, DNB 452481929 , p. 122f.

literature

  • Hans-Josef Weidemann, Jochen Köhler: Moths. Weirdos and hawkers. Naturbuch-Verlag, Augsburg 1996, ISBN 3-89440-128-1 .
  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The Butterflies of Baden-Württemberg Volume 4, Moths II (Bombycidae, Endromidae, Lemoniidae, Saturniidae, Sphingidae, Drepanidae, Notodontidae, Dilobidae, Lymantriidae, Ctenuchidae, Nolidae). Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 1994. ISBN 3-800-13474-8

Web links

Commons : Tethea or  - collection of images, videos and audio files