Ash gray humped owl

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Ash gray humped owl
Ash gray humped owl (Trichoplusia ni)

Ash gray humped owl ( Trichoplusia ni )

Systematics
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Superfamily : Noctuoidea
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Plusiinae
Genre : Trichoplusia
Type : Ash gray humped owl
Scientific name
Trichoplusia ni
( Huebner , 1803)
Caterpillar

The ash-gray humpback owl ( Trichoplusia ni ), sometimes also referred to as the Ni-silver owl , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of owls (Noctuidae).

features

The ash gray hump owl is a medium-sized species from the subfamily of gold owls with a wingspan of 30 to 40 millimeters . The forewings are faded, light ash-gray to reddish gray and have a few indistinct, short, jagged transverse lines with several black arrow corners. A shiny silver-white shimmering flaw in the form of the small Greek letter Gamma , which is however often separated and then more closely resembles the small Greek letter Ny , characterizes the species. The somewhat smaller size, the more indistinct markings and the often reddish gray hairs of the thorax and The abdomen differs from the otherwise similar gamma column ( Autographa gamma ). The hind wings are colored gray-brown. There is a tuft of hair on the head of the butterfly. The body is furry.

The caterpillars are colored yellow-green and have a whitish or yellowish side stripe. The pupa is initially light green, later brown.

Similar species

Geographical distribution and habitat

The ash gray humpback owl is found in Europe mainly in southern areas and is a migratory butterfly from the subtropics . It flies occasionally to Germany, mainly to Bavaria , Baden-Württemberg , Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia . If immigrants then reproduce, the animals perish in winter. In the Alps , moths have been found up to over 2,000 meters above sea level. The species occurs on all continents, except Australia , but not completely in the north and completely in the south.

Way of life

The ash gray humpback owl flies in several generations. The first generation females lay the eggs on the forage plant, from which the caterpillars hatch in September. The leaves of low plants serve as a source of food, such as:

The caterpillars overwinter and pupate in a white web in the spring of the following year. The moths then fly in May and June. The second generation caterpillars live in June and July and produce the moths from July to early October.

Danger

In addition to direct control with pesticides , antibiotics and hormones from wastewater can also pose a threat to the ash-gray humpback owl. The species is not native to Germany, which is why it is not classified on the Red List of endangered species .

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ^ 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 .
  2. ↑ Manfred Koch: We identify butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 .
  3. ↑ Alice Lanzke: Study: Insect Dying by Antibiotics in Water? In: aerztezeitung.de . November 2, 2017. Retrieved August 18, 2019 .

literature

Web links

Commons : Ash Gray Hump Owl  - Collection of images, videos and audio files