Spodoptera exigua

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Spodoptera exigua
Specimen from Spodoptera exigua

Specimen from Spodoptera exigua

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Xyleninae
Genre : Spodoptera
Type : Spodoptera exigua
Scientific name
Spodoptera exigua
( Huebner , 1808)

Spodoptera exigua , also known as sugar beet owl or knotweed silk owl, is a butterfly ( moth ) fromthe owl butterfly family (Noctuidae).

features

butterfly

The wingspan of the moth is 26 to 33 millimeters. The very narrow fore wings, which vary in color from yellow-brown to gray-brown, are typical of the species. Kidney blemishes and especially ring blemishes are usually reddish in color. The transverse lines are double, but mostly indistinct. The wavy line is also only indistinctly visible. There are some black dots on the hem. The shiny white colored and iridescent hind wings and the distinctive brown veins are very noticeable .

egg

The egg is rounded, flattened at both poles and provided with strong longitudinal ribs.

Spodoptera exigua caterpillar

Caterpillar

Adult caterpillars show either a greenish or a gray-brown basic color and a lighter ventral side. The back line is dark brown and interrupted, while the wide side stripes shimmer light ocher yellow.

Doll

The yellow-brown pupa is characterized by several short points on the blunt cremaster .

Geographical distribution and habitat

Spodoptera exigua occurs worldwide, but preferably in tropical and subtropical regions. In Europe it is native to the warmer areas of the Mediterranean and flies into the more northerly areas as a migratory butterfly . The animals are mainly found in the growing areas of various cultivated plants.

Way of life

The nocturnal moths like to fly to artificial light sources as well as laid baits . The eggs are laid in small clutches, covered with hair wool from the anal tufts of hair of the females. The caterpillars are often introduced to Central Europe with vegetables or fruit. They feed extremely polyphagously on many crops, for example peppers, cabbage, beans, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, alfalfa, corn, cotton, lemon, sugar beet, asparagus or grapevines and can also be harmful in plantations . Sometimes they were also found on bird knotweed ( Polygonum ) or species of bindweed ( Convolvulus ). To ward off enemies, e.g. B. from ants (Formicidae) these are sprayed by the caterpillars with an oral secretion from the mouthparts, which contains surfactants . Attempts have been made to use pheromones to control mass reproduction. In the subtropics, moths and caterpillars live in an uninterrupted succession of generations all year round. Butterflies found in Central Europe are considered immigrants if they occur in spring. Late moths can also have developed as the offspring of animals that immigrated in early summer. The caterpillars cannot survive severe winters and perish.

Danger

Spodoptera exigua flies into Germany every year with different frequencies and is classified on the Red List of Endangered Species as an errant or migrant butterfly.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Michael Fibiger, Hermann Hacker: Amphipyrinae, Condicinae, Eriopinae, Xyleninae (part) . In: Michael Fibiger, László Ronkay, Barry Goater, Martin Honey (eds.): Noctuidae Europaeae . tape 9 . Entomological Press, Sorø 2007, ISBN 978-87-89430-11-9 (English).
  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. ↑ a b c Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 6 . Moth IV. Noctuidae 2nd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9 .
  4. ^ W. Billen: Tropische Insekten in Basel , Mitteilungen Entomologische Gesellschaft Basel, 38, 1988
  5. ↑ caterpillar. (No longer available online.) Wissenschaft.de, archived from the original on December 4, 2010 ; Retrieved February 20, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / Wissenschaft.de
  6. ↑ Mikio Takai and Sadao Wakamura: Control of the Beet Armyworm, Spodoptera Exigua (Hubner), with Synthetic Sex Pheromone , Kochi Agricultural Research Center, National Institute of Sericultural and Entomological Science, Ohwashi, Japan, 1995
  7. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .

literature

  • Michael Fibiger, Hermann Hacker: Amphipyrinae, Condicinae, Eriopinae, Xyleninae (part) . In: Michael Fibiger, László Ronkay, Barry Goater, Martin Honey (eds.): Noctuidae Europaeae . tape 9 . Entomological Press, Sorø 2007, ISBN 978-87-89430-11-9 (English).
  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 6 . Moth IV. Noctuidae 2nd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9 .

Web links

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