Elm yellow owl

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Elm yellow owl
Elm yellow owl (Cirrhia gilvago), reddish brown, spotted color variant

Elm yellow owl ( Cirrhia gilvago ),
reddish brown, spotted color variant

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily : Xyleninae
Genre : Cirrhia
Type : Elm yellow owl
Scientific name
Cirrhia gilvago
( Denis & Schiffermüller , 1775)

The elm yellow owl ( Cirrhia gilvago ), sometimes to be found in the literature as Xanthia gilvago , is a butterfly from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae). The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word gilvus with the meaning "honey yellow" and refers to the color of the upper side of the forewing .

features

butterfly

The wingspan of the moth is 30 to 42 millimeters. They are very variable in color. Honey-yellow, yellow-brown or cinnamon-red specimens appear. The apex is rounded. The transverse lines on the upper side of the forewing are double. Often a spot-shaped or band-shaped drawing stands out. A small, blackish spot can be seen within the kidney defects . The upper side of the hind wing is colored whitish to light gray without drawing.

Caterpillar

The caterpillars are gray-brown to red-brown in color. The back and side back lines stand out faintly bright. Sometimes there are dark brown slashes. The head is shiny red-brown, the neck plate and anal segment are dark brown.

Similar species

The poplar yellow owl ( Cirrhia ocellaris ) is similar in color, but differs in its very pointed apex. In addition, the small stain within the kidney blemishes is mostly whitish in color.

distribution and habitat

The distribution of the elm yellow owl extends through central Europe to Siberia . It is also found in Turkey and Turkmenistan . There is another occurrence area in northwest Africa. In the Alps , it rises to around 1200 meters. Habitat are river valleys, floodplains, edges of mixed forests and roads, also urban areas as well as gardens and parks.

Way of life

Field elm blossoms, a caterpillar food

The moths fly from late August to early November. They are nocturnal and appear on artificial light sources and baits . The species overwinters in the egg stage. The caterpillars live individually from March to June. Young caterpillars initially feed on the flowers of elm species ( ulmus ). The field elm ( Ulmus minor ) is preferred . Older caterpillars live on the leaves and fruits of the food plant or let themselves fall to the ground with the fruits and then feed on low plants. Occasionally, the caterpillars were also found on the catkins of poplar species ( Populus ).

Danger

Although the species occurs in all German federal states, it is mostly rare and is therefore classified on the Red List of Threatened Species as "Endangered" and regionally as "Endangered".

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Arnold Spuler: The butterflies of Europe . tape 1 . E. Schweitzerbartsche Verlagbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1908, p. 253 .
  2. ↑ a b László Ronkay, José Luis Yela, Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae II. - Noctuidae Europaeae, Volume 5. , Sorø, 2001, ISBN 87-89430-06-9 , pp. 65/66
  3. ↑ Markku Savela: distribution. In: Lepidoptera and some other life forms. Accessed January 20, 2020 (English).
  4. ↑ a b Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. 1st edition. Volume 6. Moths IV. Noctuidae 2nd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9 , pp. 424-427
  5. ↑ Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5 , pp. 222/223
  6. ^ Karl Cleve: The butterflies of West Berlin , Berliner Naturschutzblätter, Volksbund Naturschutz e. V., Volume 21, No. 61, 1977, p. 307
  7. ↑ Manfred Koch: We identify butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. , Neumann Verlag, Leipzig / Radebeul, 1972, p. 156/157
  8. ↑ Arno Bergmann: The large butterflies of Central Germany. Volume 4/1: Owls. Distribution, forms and communities. Urania-Verlag, Jena 1954, pp. 559-561
  9. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany. , Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster, 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9

literature

  • László Ronkay, José Luis Yela, Márton Hreblay: Hadeninae II. - Noctuidae Europaeae, Volume 5. , Sorø, 2001, ISBN 87-89430-06-9
  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. 1st edition. Volume 6. Moths IV. Noctuidae 2nd part. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 1997, ISBN 3-8001-3482-9
  • Walter Forster, Theodor A. Wohlfahrt: The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 4: Owls. (Noctuidae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1971, ISBN 3-440-03752-5

Web links

Commons : Elm Yellow Owl  - Collection of images, videos and audio files