Pfaffenhütchen harlequin

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Pfaffenhütchen harlequin
Eauheater harlequin (Ligdia adustata)

Eauheater harlequin ( Ligdia adustata )

Systematics
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Spanner (Geometridae)
Subfamily : Ennominae
Tribe : Abraxini
Genre : Ligdia
Type : Pfaffenhütchen harlequin
Scientific name
Ligdia adustata
( Denis & Schiffermüller , 1775)
Young caterpillar

The spindle tree Harlequin ( Ligdia adustata ), and spindle tree Spanner , Pfaff tensioner or Small euonymus tensioner called, is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the tensioner (Geometridae).

features

The moths of the Pfaffenhütchen harlequin reach a wingspan of 24 to 28 millimeters. The basic color of the wings is white, creamy white to slightly brownish, e.g. Sometimes also with a reddish tinge. The root field of the forewings is black-brown and can occasionally shimmer slightly blue. The strong, curved transverse band is blue-black, dark brown to light brown (form suffusa ), e.g. Sometimes washed out or almost extinct (forma extincta ). This band is less and less developed on the underside of the forewings. The outer line delimiting the transverse band is strongly jagged. The inner border of the transverse band is usually yellowish brown or light brown. The inner transverse line is usually barely developed or only indicated by a series of elongated points. It is usually more clearly developed on the underside because the points are larger here. The outer edge often shows distinct dark arrow spots. The wing tip is always white.

The hind wings are mostly kept in the basic color, the transverse band is only slightly darker. Occasionally there are a few irregularly distributed black dots in the inner field.

The egg is initially light yellow and turns dark carmine red by the time it hatches. It is flattened and rounded and has a fine, net-like pattern. The rosette of the Micropylzone is very small and five-leaved.

The caterpillar is relatively short and rather thick (for tension caterpillars). It is mostly green in color, but green-red and carmine-red specimens also occur. Segments five to seven have white spots on the back. On the sides of segments five and six there are larger, light brown spots that are connected to one another by a darker spot. There are also larger red-brown spots on the pair of belly legs. The clearly offset head is somewhat flattened in front and mostly brown in color. The pupa is red-brown to black-brown with black-spotted wing sheaths. The cremaster is cone-shaped and relatively small. It is covered with a few very short bristles.

Geographical occurrence and habitat

The species is widespread in Europe. It comes from Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula in the west via Central Europe, the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor, Ukraine, Russia, the Caucasus to Turkmenistan. In the north the distribution area extends to southern Sweden and the Baltic States. In the mountains the species rises up to 1600 m above sea level.

The distribution area and also the frequency of the Pfaffenhütchen harlequin is linked to the distribution and frequency of the host plant. It is therefore found in a wide variety of biotopes, very often in gardens and parks, where the common spindle bush (or eccentric cone) was planted by humans. It can therefore be quite frequent under certain circumstances.

Way of life

The Pfaffenhütchen harlequin is mostly bivoltine; d. H. as a rule, two generations are formed, but they overlap somewhat. Only one generation is formed in unfavorable locations and in the mountains. The moths fly from the beginning of April to the beginning of July, in climatically favorable areas and favorable years even at the end of March, and from mid-July from mid-September or from mid-June to the end of July if only one generation is formed. The moths were observed sucking nectar from the flowers of gooseberries and water feast. They sit on leaves and trunks during the day, and occasionally also fly during the day. They become active at dusk and are attracted to artificial light sources. Under breeding conditions, the animals begin copulation immediately after hatching. Only a little later, the females lay the eggs individually on the branches or leaves of the host plant. The egg caterpillars hatch after four to five days.

The caterpillars feed monophag on the leaves of the common spindle bush ( Euonymus europaeus ). The pupa hibernates in a loosely spun cocoon on the ground or between leaves. When bred under ideal conditions, some pupae went into diapause, others did not. However, the hatching success was greater for dolls that showed a diapause.

Danger

The Pfaffenhütchen harlequin is not endangered in Germany.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Florian Altermatt, Adrian Baumeyer and Dieter Ebert: Experimental evidence for male biased flight-to-light behavior in two moth species. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 130: 259-265, 2009 doi : 10.1111 / j.1570-7458.2008.00817.x
  2. ↑ Red List

literature

  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 9. Moths VII. Geometridae 2nd part . 1st edition. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2003, ISBN 3-8001-3279-6 .
  • Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 5: Spanner. (Geometridae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-440-04951-5 .

Web links

Commons : Pfaffenhütchen-Harlequin  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files