Middle peacock butterfly
| Middle peacock butterfly | ||||||||||||
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Middle peacock butterfly ( Saturnia spini ) |
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| Saturnia spini | ||||||||||||
| ( Denis & Schiffermuller , 1775) |
The Middle Nachtpfauenauge ( Saturnia spini ) is a butterfly of the family of saturniidae (Saturniidae).
features
butterfly
The moths have a wingspan of 57 to 65 millimeters (males) or 70 to 80 millimeters (females), Pittaway states that the maximum wingspan is even 100 millimeters. Both sexes have the same gray basic color as the females of the lesser night peacock ( Saturnia pavonia ) and therefore look very similar to them. Sex dichroism is not developed. The forewings are white-gray in color and have a dark-edged, light horizontal stripe near the base, which, however, has no kink. The distinctive serpentine bands running parallel in the disk field end in the middle of the wing inner edge, thus closer to the wing base compared to the similar species and have a noticeably concave curve. They are more wavy than the similar species and can also be seen on the underside of the wing. The middle field of the forewings between the eye spot and the inner edge of the wing is usually much lighter in color with its gray-white color. The Postdiskalband is very wide on the inner edge and tapers to the relatively small red wipe below the wing tip to a blunt point, which makes it look wedge-shaped. It is dark gray-brown, with scattered brownish and reddish-purple scales . The relatively broad, reddish-gray edge of the wing is separated from the discal band by a clear, light cloudy white band. The hind wings have the same coloration as the forewings, but are more light gray on the inside. The double serrated band ends at the inner edge just as much closer to the base as in the Lesser Peacock Butterfly, which means that the post-discal band is wider and wedge-shaped on the inner edge as well as on the forewings.
The red-brown antennae of the males are long and four-pinnate. The head and thorax of the animals are dark black-brown. The neck collar is dirty white and relatively broad. The abdomen is dark brown in color and has a whitish gray ring of hair on top of each segment. These hairs are distinctly longer and stronger than in the similar species. Compared to the lesser peacock butterfly, the females have longer inter-comb teeth on their antennae, are more strongly built and have more hair on the abdomen.
The color of the species is only slightly variable. Occasionally one can observe individuals with smaller eye spots, only rarely these are completely absent. There are also individuals with a thinner scale and those in which the fringing band and the middle field are strongly darkened ( fusca ).
Pre-imaginal stages
The oval, grayish white eggs have a size of 1.4 × 2.2 millimeters and are coated with olive-brown secretion. The fully grown caterpillars are 65 to 80 millimeters long and only appear in one color variant. They are black, but can have fine gray or blue drawing elements. Their button-like tubercles are reddish-orange in color in fully-grown caterpillars. The pupa becomes about 26 millimeters long and is dark brown to black in color. It is noticeably flattened dorsoventrally. Your body is in the form of a comma.
Occurrence and habitat
The species occurs from eastern Austria and Poland through eastern and south-eastern Europe to Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Crimea and Kazakhstan. They can be found in sunny and dry habitats in lower and middle hilly areas with bush vegetation, such as bushy steppes or semi-steppes. In Turkey the species has been proven up to 1500 meters above sea level.
Way of life
Unlike the lesser peacock butterfly, both sexes are nocturnal. The animals are not true to their location, which is why the caterpillars can be found in new biotopes in successive years.
Flight and caterpillar times
Depending on the climatic conditions, the moths fly in one generation from April to June.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars live polyphagously in Europe mainly on Prunus species and roses ( Rosa ), but they can also be found on other fruit trees, hawthorns ( Crataegus ), elms ( Ulmus ), alders ( Alnus ), willows ( Salix ) and poplars ( Populus ). In Turkey and the Crimea , however, the caterpillars are mainly found on thorny representatives of the rose family (Rosaceae), between Saratow and Volgograd in Russia the species prefers to eat buckthorn ( Rhamnus ).
development
Immediately after hatching, the 2.5 to 3 millimeter long animals are already colored black and have bristles. They first eat their eggshell and then huddle together. They live through their entire development socially and are therefore very noticeable on their food plants. They do not change color as they grow. Pupation takes place in a coarse, thin-walled, pear-shaped, double, brown cocoon . This is made openly at the base of the food plant, usually on the ground. The pupa overwinters and is very resistant to drought. The pupa can survive for several years.
Danger
The middle peacock butterfly is probably only distributed locally in Eastern Europe and is rarely found. In Central Europe, the species is only known from isolated sites and has been lost or extinct in many places for a long time.
Specialized enemies
The caterpillar flies Blepharipa pratensis , Exorista grandis , Exorista sorbillans , Masicera pavoniae , Masicera silvatica and Winthemia quadripustulata have been identified as parasitoids in the species.
supporting documents
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Josef J. de Freina, Thomas J. Witt: Noctuoidea, Sphingoidea, Geometroidea, Bombycoidea . In: The Bombyces and Sphinges of the Western Palaearctic . 1st edition. tape 1 . EFW Edition Research & Science, Munich 1987, ISBN 3-926285-00-1 , p. 396 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Saturniidae of Europe: Saturnia spini. AR Pittaway, accessed February 18, 2010 .
literature
- Josef J. de Freina, Thomas J. Witt: Noctuoidea, Sphingoidea, Geometroidea, Bombycoidea . In: The Bombyces and Sphinges of the Western Palaearctic . 1st edition. tape 1 . EFW Edition Research & Science, Munich 1987, ISBN 3-926285-00-1 .
