Red thimble florets

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Red thimble florets
Eupithecia pulchellata.jpg

Red Foxglove Moth ( Eupithecia pulchellata )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Spanner (Geometridae)
Subfamily : Larentiinae
Genre : Eupithecia
Type : Red thimble florets
Scientific name
Eupithecia pulchellata
Stephens , 1831
Caterpillar
Sealed red foxglove flower with a caterpillar behind
(center left)

The red thimble fly ( Eupithecia pulchellata ), also simply called foxglove fly , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the flyer (Geometridae). The specific epithet is based on the Latin word pulchellus with the meaning "very beautiful" and refers to the bright colors of the moths.

features

butterfly

The wingspan of the moth is 18 to 24 millimeters. The basic color of the forewings is yellow-red and shows a broad, dark gray to dark brown, light-edged central band, from which a black central spot hardly stands out. There are dark areas on the hem. Overall, the moths look colorful. The hind wings are slightly lighter than the forewings, have a darkened fringe and show a small black central spot.

egg

The egg initially has a whitish yellow color and later takes on yolk yellow tones. It has an oval shape and shows polygonal to round depressions in the bowl sculpture.

Caterpillar

Adult caterpillars are smooth and thick. They are either greenish, brownish or reddish in color and show a broad, blotchy, dark back line and narrow side back lines.

Doll

The brownish doll is noticeable through the greenish wing sheaths and the long proboscis sheath. It is provided with two strong and six weak hook bristles on the conical cremaster .

Similar species

The Leinkraut-Pug ( Eupithecia linariata ) and Eupithecia pyreneata both have a smaller wingspan and narrower wings. E. pyreneata also usually shows an overall darker appearance. A genital morphological examination can be helpful in determining the species.

Geographical distribution and occurrence

The nominate form E. pulchellata pulchellata is native to the British Isles . In Central Europe one finds the ssp. E. pulchellata intermedia . In the Pyrenees it rises to an altitude of 2,400 meters. The species prefers warm mountain slopes, forest edges, clearings and gardens.

Way of life

The moths are mostly nocturnal and fly from May to August. Sometimes they often appear in artificial light sources . The females lay the eggs one by one on the flowers or the flower stalks of the forage plant. The caterpillars can be found from June to September. They feed on the pistils and stamens within the flowers of the red foxglove ( Digitalis purpurea ). The opening of the flower is usually provided with a light web, which is also closed from the inside so that the caterpillar is well protected from enemies. Although the caterpillars are sometimes very numerous, they often result in only a limited number of butterflies, as they are often infested by parasites. The pupae overwinter.

Danger

In Germany the red thimble bloom moth is listed on the red list of endangered species as "not endangered".

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Arnold Spuler: The butterflies of Europe , Volume 2, E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, 1910, p. 70
  2. ↑ a b c Vladimir Mironov: The Geometrid Moths of the World . In: Axel Hausmann (Ed.): The Geometrid Moths of Europe . 1st edition. Volume 4: Larentiinae II. Perizomini and Eupitheciini . Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2003, ISBN 87-88757-40-4 (English).
  3. ↑ Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 5: Spanner. (Geometridae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-440-04951-5 .
  4. ↑ a b 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 .
  5. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .

literature

  • Vladimir Mironov: The Geometrid Moths of the World . In: Axel Hausmann (Ed.): The Geometrid Moths of Europe . 1st edition. Volume 4: Larentiinae II. Perizomini and Eupitheciini . Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2003, ISBN 87-88757-40-4 (English).
  • 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 .

Web links

Commons : Foxglove fly  - Collection of images, videos and audio files