Meadow moth

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Meadow moth
Hawkweed moth (Lemonia dumi)

Hawkweed moth ( Lemonia dumi )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Subordination : Glossata
Superfamily : Bombycoidea
Family : Meadow moth
Scientific name
Lemoniidae
Hampson , 1918

The meadow moth (Lemoniidae), also called autumn moth , are a family of butterflies (Lepidoptera). The representatives of the meadow moth were originally placed with the mother hen (Lasiocampidae). Today around 20 species are assigned to meadow spiders worldwide. In Europe, of which five species are found, two of them also live in Central Europe . Both species are very local and rarely found.

More recent, phylogenomic studies, in which the relationships are determined based on the comparison of homologous DNA sequence segments, have shown that the Brahmaeidae family is not only closely related to the meadow spinner, as previously assumed, but that both families are paraphyletic to one another are. Since 2008, the associated genera have therefore mostly been assigned to the Brahmaeidae. The family name Lemoniidae would be synonymous in this case .

features

The medium to large moths have a stocky build and wide wings. The veins R2 - R5 are stalked with M1 , what distinguishes the meadow moth from the mother hen.

The antennae are combed to the tip in both sexes, in some species there is even a third row of teeth, for example on the underside of the antennae. The compound eyes are hairless, but are often ciliate towards the front. Pointed eyes and maxillary palps , like a proboscis, are not developed. The tripartite labial palps are either moderately developed or rather short. The front legs are modified for digging.

The species differ from the other butterfly families by the lack of a proboscis, by short rails ( tibiae ) and two very strongly developed spines on the outside of the first tarsal segment , which point in opposite directions, on the forelegs, by tibiae on the hind legs, the do not have long central spines and due to the lack of frenulum bristles on the hind wings in both sexes.

The eggs are of the upright type and are hemispherical to almost spherical. and have a soft outer shell ( chorion ). They are stored in groups.

The caterpillars have long and thick hairs, it is only in the hawk moth and in the genus Sabalia not long in the last caterpillar stage. There are no spinnerets, so the larvae cannot make cocoons .

distribution

The representatives of the meadow moth can be found from Europe to Central Asia and the Mediterranean . The genus Lemonia is distributed in the Palearctic and has its main distribution area in the Mediterranean and the Middle East . The genus Sabalia has the main focus of its distribution in East Africa.

Way of life

The adults are usually nocturnal, but there are also diurnal and nocturnal species whose compound eyes are smaller. For example, the males of the Hawkweed moth ( Lemonia dumi ) fly around in fast, unsteady flight during the day in bright sunshine in search of females, but they can also be attracted by artificial light at night. In the rest position, the wings are folded like a roof over the abdomen, with the front edge of the rear wing often protruding below.

The caterpillars of the genus Lemonia feed mainly on dandelions ( Taraxacum ), hawk herbs ( Hieracium ) and goose thistles ( Sonchus ), all from the sunflower family (Asteraceae). The caterpillars of the species Sabalia tippelskirchi are known to feed socially on Euphorbia granti .

Systematics

The family, in the classic definition according to Minet, is assigned two genera, Lemonia and Sabalia . Occasionally a third genus, Spiramiopsis , is also called.

A close relationship with the Brahma spinners has been suspected for a long time due to morphological features. This is based among other things on the veining of the hind wings. According to genetic data, a kin group within the Bombycoidea was established, which includes the Apatelodidae , Eupterotidae , Brahmaeidae and Lemoniidae. A study by Andreas Zwick then revealed that the genera Sabalia and Dactyloceras are sister groups, making the earlier families Lemoniidae and Brahmaeidae paraphyletic against each other. Zwick then synonymized both families under the name Brahmaeidae. Most of the later authors followed this view.

All species of the genus Lemonia occurring in Europe are listed below, the species native to Central Europe are marked separately (A, CH, D):

Hazard and protection

The meadow moths are mainly endangered by cultivation measures on fallow land and wetlands, and in Central Europe also by the use of herbicides and fertilizers in agriculture. The two species Lemonia dumi and Lemonia taraxaci that occur in Germany are particularly protected or strictly protected by the Federal Species Protection Ordinance (BArtSchV) Annex 1 . The Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany has Lemonia taraxaci in category 1 (threatened with extinction) and Lemonia dumi in category 2 (endangered).

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e J. J. de Freina: The Bombyces and Sphinges of the Western Palaearctic. Volume 1. Noctuoidea, Sphingoidea, Geometoidea, Bombycoidea. EFW Edition Research & Science Verlag GmbH, Munich, 1987, ISBN 3-926285-00-1
  2. ↑ Brahmaeidae in Fauna Europaea. Retrieved on February 17, 2009
  3. ↑ Lemoniidae. Lepiforum eV, accessed on February 17, 2009 .
  4. ↑ a b c d e N. P. Kristensen: Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies, 1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbuch der Zoologie 4 (35) p. 341f, Walter de Gruyter. Berlin, New York 2003, ISBN 3-11-015704-7
  5. ^ J. Minet (1994): The Bombycoidea: phylogeny and higher classification (Lepidoptera: Glossata). Entomologica Scandinavica 25: 63-88.
  6. ↑ Malcolm J. Scoble: The Lepidoptera: Form, Function and Diversity. P. 317 Oxford University Press 1995, ISBN 978-0-19-854952-9
  7. ↑ Jerome C. Regier, Christopher P. Cook, Charles Mitter, April Hussey (2008): A phylogenetic study of the 'bombycoid complex' (Lepidoptera) using five protein-coding nuclear genes, with comments on the problem of macrolepidopteran phylogeny. Systematic Entomology 33: 175-189. doi : 10.1111 / j.1365-3113.2007.00409.x
  8. ^ A. Zwick (2008): Molecular phylogeny of Anthelidae and other bombycoid taxa (Lepidoptera: Bombycoidea). Systematic Entomology 33: 190-209. doi : 10.1111 / j.1365-3113.2007.00410.x
  9. ↑ cf. van Nieukerken, EJ, et al. (2011). Order Lepidoptera Linnaeus, 1758. In Z.-Q. Zhang (Editor): Animal Biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness Zootaxa 3148: 212-221.
  10. ↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 978-3-89624-110-8

literature

  • Manfred Koch : We determine butterflies. Volume 2: Bears, Spinners, Swarmers and Drills in Germany. 2nd, expanded edition. Neumann, Radebeul / Berlin 1964, DNB 452481929 .

Web links

Commons : Wiesenspinner  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files