Whitish-yellow tufted owl
Whitish-yellow tufted owl | ||||||||||||
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Whitish-yellow tufted owl ( Apamea lithoxylaea ) |
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||||||
Apamea lithoxylaea | ||||||||||||
( Denis & Schiffermüller , 1775) |
The whitish-yellow grass tufted owl ( Apamea lithoxylaea ), also known as the dry grass root owl, is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae).
features
butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is 44 to 53 millimeters. The basic color of the narrow forewings is white-yellow to light brown-gray. Kidney, cone and ring flaws are missing. Sometimes a slightly darkened, brownish middle shadow stands out. Some specimens also have a darkened area in the edge area. The transverse lines are indicated by dark points. A broad, darkened hem without a center line can be seen on the gray-white hind wings.
egg
The egg has a light green color, a hemispherical shape and is provided with a large number of longitudinal ribs that run down to the micropyl zone.
Caterpillar
Adult caterpillars are glassy, gray to yellow-gray in color and have black point warts. The head and pronotum are colored black-brown. The body has some very short dark bristles.
Doll
The slender doll is shiny red-brown in color and has a button-shaped, wrinkled cremaster that ends in two short, slightly curved tips.
Similar species
The reddish-yellow tufted owl ( Apamea sublustris ) shows, as the name suggests, a more reddish-yellow basic color on the front wings. In addition, a dark center line can be seen on the hind wings.
distribution and habitat
The distribution of the species extends from Europe and the Middle East to Armenia , north to Scotland and south Fennoscandinavia , south to central Spain , south Italy , Sicily and north Greece . It also occurs in the Caucasus and Altai . In the Alps it rises to around 1200 meters. The whitish-yellow tufted owl prefers to live on dry slopes, on grassy forest clearings and heaths, as well as on dry lawns .
Way of life
The nocturnal moths fly in one generation per year from June to August. They sometimes appear in numbers on artificial light sources , occasionally also on baits . The caterpillars live mainly from September, overwinter and pupate in May of the following year. They stay in a cave on the ground under tufts of grass and feed on the roots of various grasses, for example panicle grasses ( Poa ).
Danger
The whitish-yellow grass tufted owl can be found widespread in many regions of Germany and is classified as "not endangered" on the Red List of Endangered Species .
swell
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Alberto Zilli, László Ronkay, Michael Fibiger: Apameini . In: WG Tremewan (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . 1st edition. tape 8 . Entomological Press, Sorø 2005, ISBN 87-89430-09-3 (English).
- ^ 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 .
- ^ 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 .
- ↑ Arno Bergmann: The large butterflies of Central Germany. Volume 4/2: Owls. Distribution, forms and communities. Urania-Verlag, Jena 1954, DNB 450378381 .
- ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .
literature
- Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 3: Owls. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1972, DNB 760072930 .
- Alberto Zilli, László Ronkay, Michael Fibiger: Apameini . In: WG Tremewan (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . 1st edition. tape 8 . Entomological Press, Sorø 2005, ISBN 87-89430-09-3 (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
- Lepiforum e. V. - photos
- www.nic.funet.fi - occurrence
- www.pyrgus.de - Butterflies and their ecology
- www.schmetterlinge-deutschlands.de - endangerment
- Apamea lithoxylaea at Fauna Europaea. Retrieved June 6, 2014