Reed grass owl

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Reed grass owl
Reed-grass owl (Leucania obsoleta)

Reed-grass owl ( Leucania obsoleta )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Hadeninae
Genre : Leucania
Type : Reed grass owl
Scientific name
Leucania obsoleta
( Huebner , 1803)
Stunned or dead reed grass owl

The reed grass owl ( Leucania obsoleta ), sometimes also referred to as the reed white-armed owl , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae).

description

butterfly

The wingspan of the moth is 30 to 38 millimeters. The color of the upper side of the forewing varies from reddish gray to brown-gray or yellow-gray to light beige. There are no flaws. The outer transverse line is made up of a series of black dots. A white point stands out at the end of the cell . The light veins are framed in dark brown. There is a row of small black arrow marks along the hemline. The upper side of the hind wings is whitish in color, it is darkened towards the hem. The veins stand out clearly.

Caterpillar

Adult caterpillars have a light reddish gray basic color, are darkly speckled on the back and provided with thin light back and side back lines and narrow also light side stripes. The light brown head is dark latticed.

Doll

The red-brown, slender doll is provided with two thorns and two side bristles on the cremaster .

Similar species

In Leucania palaestinae , the veins on the upper surface of the forewings are strikingly white. The upper side of the hind wing of the smaller Leucania zeae is lighter than that of Leucania obsoleta .

distribution and habitat

The reed-grass owl is common in Europe. In the east the distribution area extends to Central Asia. The species lives in reed stands on rivers, streams, lakes, gravel pits and moors as well as in floodplain and swamp forests.

Way of life

The nocturnal moths form one generation per year, which can usually be found from mid-May to mid-August. If specimens still appear in September or October, it should not be a second generation, but pieces hatched with a delay. They fly to artificial light sources and visit bait . The females lay the eggs in rows on the leaves of the food plant. It is reed ( Phragmites australis ). The caterpillars, which live from August onwards, overwinter in tube stubble, in which they also pupate.

Danger

The reed-grass owl occurs in different numbers in all German federal states and is not considered endangered.

swell

literature

  • Günter Ebert, Axel Steiner: The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg - Volume 7, Moths V (Owls (Noctuidae) 3rd part). Ulmer, Stuttgart 1998. ISBN 3-800-13500-0 .
  • Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .
  • Hermann Hacker, László Ronkay and Márton Hreblay: Noctuidae Europaeae vol. 4 Hadeninae I . Entomological, Sorø 2002, ISBN 87-894-30-07-7 .
  • Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hermann Hacker, László Ronkay, Márton Hreblay: Noctuidae Europaeae vol. 4 Hadeninae I . Entomological Press, Sorø 2002, ISBN 87-894-30-07-7 .
  2. ^ A b Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 .
  3. ↑ Ernst and Herta Urbahn: The butterflies of Pomerania with a comparative overview of the Baltic Sea region , Entomological Association of Stettin, Stettin 1939.
  4. ↑ Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg - Volume 7, Nachtfalter V. Ulmer, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-8001-3500-0 .
  5. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .

Web links

Commons : Reed Grass Owl  - Collection of images, videos and audio files