Silver fir coniferous trees
| Silver fir coniferous trees | ||||||||||||
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European silver fir coniferous trees ( Thera vetustata ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Thera vetustata | ||||||||||||
| ( Denis & Schiffermüller , 1775) |
The silver fir coniferous tree spanner ( Thera vetustata , syn .: Thera stragulata ), sometimes also referred to as the light spruce forest leaf spanner or mountain spruce forest leaf spanner , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the spanner family (Geometridae).
features
butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is 24 to 30 millimeters. The basic color of the front wings is predominantly milky white, sometimes white-gray or yellow-gray. The root area is colored light brown to black brown. With the same color, a large spot on the front edge stands out near the center. The intensity and design of this spot is variable. In some specimens there are small black spots in the lower middle field or on the rear edge. The dark midfield area is almost never completely dark, which distinguishes the moths from other Thera species. The apex area is also dark . In the fringe there is a thin, interrupted blackish line that continues on the whitish hind wings. These also show weak transverse lines.
Caterpillar
Adult caterpillars are green in color and have whitish lines and stripes, which is why they are optically well protected from predators due to the resemblance they achieve with white pine needles.
Geographical distribution and occurrence
The distribution area of the silver fir coniferous wood spanner extends from Spain across Central Europe to the Balkans . The species is absent in Fennoscandinavia . In the Alps it still occurs at an altitude of 1,600 meters. The animals prefer to inhabit fir and mixed forests.
Way of life
The nocturnal moths fly in two generations, from late May to mid-July and from mid-August to mid-September. During the day they can sometimes be seen sitting on tree trunks. At night they also visit artificial light sources . The caterpillars feed on the needles of the silver fir ( Abies alba ). It has yet to be investigated whether they will accept further forage plants. The caterpillars overwinter.
Danger
The silver fir coniferous tree can be found in different numbers in Germany, is absent in the northern regions and is included in the red list of endangered species on the early warning list.
Systematics
The species was previously regarded as an individual form of the variable coniferous wood tensioner ( Thera variata ), which is why it is often referred to as forma or aberratio stragulata in older records .
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 8 . Moth VI. Spanner (Geometridae) 1st part. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3497-7 .
- ↑ Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 5: Spanner. (Geometridae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-440-04951-5 .
- ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .
- ↑ Arno Bergmann: The large butterflies of Central Germany. Volume 5/1: Spanner. Distribution, forms and communities. Urania-Verlag, Jena 1955, DNB 450378403 .
literature
- Manfred Koch , Wolfgang Heinicke, Bernd Müller: We determine butterflies. Volume 4: Spanner. 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1976, DNB 780451570 .
- Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 5: Spanner. (Geometridae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-440-04951-5 .
- Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg . 1st edition. tape 8 . Moth VI. Spanner (Geometridae) 1st part. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3497-7 .
Web links
- Lepiforum eV photos
- www.schmetterlinge-deutschlands.de Endangerment
- Thera vetustata in Fauna Europaea. Retrieved June 3, 2012