Xestia ochreago

Xestia ochreago
	Xestia ochreago
Systematics
Order :	Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Superfamily :	Noctuoidea
Family :	Owl butterfly (Noctuidae)
Subfamily :	Noctuinae
Genre :	Xestia
Type :	Xestia ochreago
Scientific name
	Xestia ochreago
	( Huebner , 1809)

Xestia ochreago , also called yellowish alpine earth owl , is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the owl butterflies (Noctuidae).

features

The wingspan of the moth is about 37 to 39 millimeters. The yellow-brown colored fore wings are narrow and taper to a point at the apex . Occasionally there are also individuals with reddish-brown tints. Ring and kidney defects have a yellowish color and are framed by fine darker lines. A brownish spot is characteristic at the lower edge of the kidney blemishes. The middle field is slightly darkened in some specimens. Cross and wavy lines stand out clearly. The hind wings are gray-yellow to ocher-colored without drawing.

Adult caterpillars have a pale, light green color, an indistinct, light back line and white side stripes that are clearly delimited towards the top. The white stigmas are outlined in black.

Similar species

The nominate form of the Alpine golden owl ( Xestia lorezi ) differs from Xestia ochreago by the rounder fore wing shape as well as by the more indistinct lines and blemishes and the pale basic color.

Geographical distribution and habitat

The species has a Mediterranean- Asian distribution. In Europe it occurs in the mountains of northern Spain , the mountains of the eastern Balkans and in the Alps , where it can still be found at altitudes of 2500 meters. The main occurrence areas are mountain pastures and rocky alpine pastures.

Way of life

The predominantly diurnal moths fly from late June to August in one generation per year. In the sunshine they like to visit the flower heads of scabiosa ( Scabiosa ), Alpendost ( Adenostyles ) or Alpine thistle ( Cirsium spinosissimum ). They only appear occasionally on artificial light sources and baits . The caterpillars feed on various plants, for example mullein ( Verbascum ) or coltsfoot ( Tussilago farfara ). The species overwinters as a caterpillar.

Danger

Xestia ochreago is in Germany only in the Bavarian Alps before and is on the red list of threatened species run as a kind of geographical restriction.

swell

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Michael Fibiger: Noctuinae II . In: WG Tremewan (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . 1st edition. tape 2 . Entomological Press, Sorø 1993, ISBN 87-89430-02-6 (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 .
↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .

literature

Michael Fibiger: Noctuinae II . In: WG Tremewan (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . 1st edition. tape 2 . Entomological Press, Sorø 1993, ISBN 87-89430-02-6 (English).
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 : Xestia ochreago - collection of images, videos and audio files

Lepiforum eV photos
www.schmetterlinge-deutschlands.de Endangerment
Xestia ochreago at Fauna Europaea

[Fibiger-1] Michael Fibiger: Noctuinae II . In: WG Tremewan (Ed.): Noctuidae Europaeae . 1st edition. tape 2 . Entomological Press, Sorø 1993, ISBN 87-89430-02-6 (English).

[Forster-2] 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 .

[BuNa-3] Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany . Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 .