Mother plum

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Mother plum
Mother Plum (Odonestis pruni)

Mother Plum ( Odonestis pruni )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Huckling (Lasiocampidae)
Subfamily : Lasiocampinae
Genre : Odonestis
Type : Mother plum
Scientific name
Odonestis pruni
( Linnaeus , 1758)
Caterpillar of the mother plum

The odonestis ( Odonestis pruni ), sometimes referred to as fire hen called, is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of clucking (Lasiocampidae).

features

Imago

The moths reach a wingspan of 35 to 50 millimeters. The wings are of a strong red-brown, sometimes almost fire-red color. This, together with the white central spot and the distinctive dark transverse line on the forewings, makes the moths unmistakable. The outer edges are jagged and taper off in a sharp point. The antennae are long combed in the male, with short comb teeth in the female. The palps are long and pointed, the body is covered with woolly hair.

egg

The egg is round, white and has a dark green center.

Caterpillar

The young caterpillar is initially dark gray with whitish spots on the back. The adult caterpillar is bluish gray and thinly haired. On the second segment it has a distinct red-yellow spot on the back. The head is gray-brown with yellow-red markings.

Doll

The pupa is slender, black-brown, has short brown hair, has several light segment incisions and a rounded cremaster .

Occurrence

The species is widespread in Europe but is absent in Norway , Sweden, and Great Britain . It prefers sunny slopes, orchards, mixed forests and gardens.

Way of life

The moths are nocturnal. The caterpillars live from August and overwinter. They like to nestle close to branches and can therefore hardly be distinguished from them. Pupation takes place in a soft yellowish web in forked branches or cracks in the bark.

Flight and caterpillar times

The moths fly in one generation in most regions from mid-June to early August. The caterpillars are found from August and after wintering until June of the following year. In warm, southern areas, a second generation can also occur, whose moths are smaller and lighter than the normal form. The corresponding flight times are then: May / June for the first and August / September for the second generation.

Food of the caterpillars

The caterpillars feed on the leaves of a variety of deciduous trees and bushes, such as. B. plums , cherries , pears , blackthorn , alder , birch , oak , linden , willow and hazel .

Hazard and protection

In Germany the mother-of-pearl is protected under Category 2 (endangered). However, the occurrence in the individual federal states is quite different.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 3: Weirdos and Swarmers. (Bombyces and Sphinges). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1960, DNB 456642196 .
  2. ↑ a b Manfred Koch : We identify butterflies. Volume 2: Bears, Spinners, Swarmers and Drills in Germany. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Radebeul / Berlin 1964, DNB 452481929 .

Web links

Commons : Pflaumenglucke  - album with pictures, videos and audio files