Polygonia gracilis
| Polygonia gracilis | ||||||||||||
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Polygonia gracillis |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Polygonia gracilis | ||||||||||||
| ( Grote & Robinson, 1867) |
Polygonia gracilis is a butterfly ( butterfly ) from the family of Edelfalter (NYMPHALIDAE), which occurs in North America.
features
butterfly
The moths reach a wingspan of 39 to 57 millimeters, the wings are strongly jagged on the outer edge and variable in color. The upper side of the wing is dark orange-red, darker towards the inside. The yellow submarginal spots in front of the dark brown outer edge are more pronounced on the hind wings than on the forewings and in the subspecies zephyrus they are usually enlarged and run more with the basic color. The underside of the wing is gray-brown, the outer half is much lighter than the inner and more silver-gray. In the subspecies zephyrus , the lower wings are paler.
egg
The egg is greenish in color. It is deposited individually, in groups or in small piles on the underside of young leaves of the food plant.
Caterpillar
The adult caterpillar is black and orange with orange spines and a black head that sometimes bears an orange V. On the upper side, it is creamy white from the thorax to the second abdominal segment with dark V-shaped markings and then orange to the eighth segment. On the side a reddish band runs over the stigma, which is interrupted by black, sometimes white, spines.
Doll
The pupa is mostly light brown, sometimes gray or green in color. A few golden or silver spots shimmer on the saddle.
distribution and habitat
Polygonia gracilis occurs in boreal North America. In the east south to the north of the Great Lakes and New England and north to Newfoundland and south of Hudson Bay . In the west from northern Alaska to central California and northern New Mexico, to the east to the Rocky Mountains.
Way of life
Polygonia gracilis lives from the foothills of the mountains to the tree line in forests, on river banks and in bushland.
The species usually forms one generation per year, in the southern distribution area also two, which is then a little lighter. The overwintered moths lay their eggs in June. The next generation appears in July and flies into September and then hibernates.
The caterpillars feed on currants , western azaleas ( Rhododendron occidentale ) and Menziesia ferruginea . In Alaska they often feed on Ribes dreary and only rarely on skunk currant ( Ribes glandulosum ). In the rest of the distribution area, desert currants ( Ribes cereum ), Ribes inerme , Ribes montigenum , swamp gooseberries ( Ribes lacustre ) and blood currants ( Ribes sanguineum ) have been identified.
Systematics
The subspecies Polygonia gracilis zephyrus ( Edwards, WH, 1870 ) is considered by some authors as a separate species, but since it crosses with P. gracilis gracilis in a wide area and there is a transitional form, it is now mostly a species with two subspecies considered. In addition, the genitals cannot be distinguished. The area with the transitional form extends from Manitoba to Alaska , including Washington . Most of the crossings are in the area from Kananaskis Country to Jasper in Alberta . The subspecies zephyrus occurs from southern British Columbia , Saskatchewan and Alberta to the south.
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Butterflies and Moths of North America: Hoary Comma Polygonia gracilis (Grote & Robinson, 1867)
- ↑ a b c d e f g James A. Scott: The Butterflies of North America , Stanford University Press, Stanford CA., 1992, ISBN 0-8047-2013-4 , p. 286
literature
- James A. Scott: The Butterflies of North America , Stanford University Press, Stanford CA., 1992, ISBN 0-8047-2013-4 , p. 286
