Purple moth

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Purple moth
Purple moth (Pyrausta purpuralis)

Purple moth ( Pyrausta purpuralis )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Crambidae
Subfamily : Pyraustinae
Genre : Pyrausta
Type : Purple moth
Scientific name
Pyrausta purpuralis
( Linnaeus , 1758)
The purple moth on a five-finger bush

The purple borer ( Pyrausta purpuralis ) is a butterfly from the Crambidae family .

features

The purple moth reaches a wingspan of about 20 millimeters. The forewings are covered with purple-colored scales and have several golden-yellow spots. The hind wings have a blackish basic color and wear a light yellow band. Depending on the age of the butterfly, the color can vary in strength. In the case of specimens that have flown heavily, the eponymous purple scales are almost no longer present. The second generation is larger and usually has wider yellow markings.

The caterpillars are green in color and have yellowish longitudinal lines and a brown head.

habitat

The habitat includes dry to moist areas in open landscapes, for example meadows and grassy areas.

Way of life

Among the food plants of the caterpillars include field mint ( Mentha arvensis ), water mint ( Mentha aquatica ) and Dost ( Origanum ). They feed near the ground in the leaves of the forage plants that have been woven together.

The moths fly both in sunny weather and in the dark.

Flight and caterpillar times

Pyrausta purpuralis flies in two generations from April to June and from June to mid-October. The flight times can shift depending on the climatic conditions. The caterpillars can be observed from May to June and in August or April of the following year. The species overwinters as a caterpillar.

distribution

Pyrausta purpuralis is widespread in Europe. The species is also represented in the British Isles.

Taxonomy

In the literature there are the following synonyms :

  • Pyrausta purpuraria Latreille , 1802
  • Pyrausta melanalis Caradja , 1916

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ František Slamka: The Common Moth (Pyraloidea) of Central Europe: Determination - Distribution - Flight area - Way of life of the caterpillars . 2nd partially revised edition, Bratislava 1997, ISBN 80-967540-2-5
  2. ^ Pyrausta purpuralis (Linnaeus, 1758) . Fauna Europaea. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  3. ↑ Pyrausta purpuralis Linnaeus . GBIF - Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  4. ↑ a b Thomas Kaltenbach, Peter Victor Küppers: Kleinschmetterlinge. Verlag J. Neudamm-Neudamm, Melsungen 1987, ISBN 3-788-80510-2

Web links

Commons : Purple borer ( Pyrausta purpuralis )  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files