Reeds gold owl
Reeds gold owl | ||||||||||||
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Reed Gold Owl ( Plusia festucae ) |
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||||||
Plusia festucae | ||||||||||||
( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The reed gold owl ( Plusia festucae ) is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae).
features
The reed gold owl is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of 34 to 44 millimeters. The forewings are reddish brown to reddish gold yellow, darkened brown in the root and middle field. In the middle there are two shiny silver, teardrop-shaped drawing elements as well as some wedges smeared in silver on the wing tip. The hind wings are brown-gray. The body of the butterfly is furry, and there is a tuft of hair on the head. The caterpillars reach a length of up to 25 millimeters and are colored green.
Similar species
- Plusia putnami (Grote, 1873)
Geographical distribution and habitat
The moth is preferred in fens as reeds , sedge , marsh areas , Kalkniedermooren , intensive grassland on peat soil and in Torfstichen and open bog before.
Way of life
The reed gold owl occurs in two generations per year, the first from mid-May to early July, the second from August to late September. The caterpillars feed on various sweet grasses such as marsh saddle grass ( Calamagrostis canescens ) and reeds ( Phragmites australis ), sour grasses (Cyperaceae) and the marsh iris ( Iris pseudacorus ). The first generation caterpillars overwinter and can be found from September to May of the following year, those of the second generation live from June to August.
literature
- Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 .
- Günter Ebert & Axel Steiner: The butterflies of Baden.Württembergs , Volume 6, Nachtfalter IV. (Owls (Noctuidae) 2nd part) Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9 .
Web links
- Lepiforum e. V. Photos
- Plusia festucae at Fauna Europaea