Dwarf moth

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dwarf moth
Eupithecia pygmaeata, Marsh Pug, Trawscoed, North Wales, June 2010 (20487097174) .jpg

Dwarf moth ( Eupithecia pygmaeata )

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Spanner (Geometridae)
Subfamily : Larentiinae
Genre : Moth ( Eupithecia )
Type : Dwarf moth
Scientific name
Eupithecia pygmaeata
( Huebner , 1799)

The Dwarf Pug ( Eupithecia pygmaeata ), and Horn Mieren-pug called, is a butterfly ( moth ) from the family of the tensioner (Geometridae). The specific epithet is based on the Latin word pygmaeus meaning "dwarfish" and refers to the small size of the butterfly.

features

butterfly

The moths reach a wingspan of 12 to 18 millimeters, making them one of the smallest species of moth . All wings have a gray-brown to red-brown basic color. Freshly hatched specimens often have a light copper sheen. Sometimes weak, light transverse lines stand out, which, however, fade as the service life progresses, just like the copper sheen. At the inner corner there is a small, white, circular spot on the upper side of the forewing.

Caterpillar

The caterpillars are greenish or light brown in color and show dark brown back and side back lines as well as loose, short hairs. The back line is sometimes expanded on the segments.

Doll

The pupa is brownish in color, the wing sheaths often shimmer slightly green. The cremaster is provided with a total of eight hook bristles, the middle pair of which is stronger.

Similar species

  • The quail wheat moth ( Eupithecia plumbeolata ) is lighter in color and lacks the white spot on the inner corner of the forewings.
  • The valerian moth ( Eupithecia valerianata ) is lighter gray-brown in color and shows an elongated white spot on the inner corner of the forewings.

As with many flowering species, a clear identification can often only be achieved by means of a genital morphological examination.

Distribution, occurrence and subspecies

The species is distributed in the west from Spain and France to the British Isles , in the south to Italy and Romania and in the north to beyond the Arctic Circle . Their area extends eastward to Siberia and Mongolia as well as further to Kamchatka and Japan . The species was first detected in Switzerland in 2010 . The dwarf moth is also found in North America and is represented in British Columbia by the subspecies Eupithecia pygmaeata obumbrata .

The species mainly inhabits floodplain and swamp forests, moors, river banks and swampy meadows. The altitude distribution in South Tyrol extends up to 1800 meters.

Way of life

The moths are mostly diurnal. It is thus the only species of moth in Central Europe that prefers to fly during the day. The most likely explanation for this behavior is the fact that the females lay the eggs in the middle of the flowers of the food plants, but these close their flowers in the evening and at night. To eat, the moths visit flowers, for example those of horn herbs ( Cerastium ), star chickweed ( Stellaria ) or creeping buttercup ( Ranunculus repens ). At night they occasionally fly to artificial light sources . The main flight times are May and June. In the south, a second generation sometimes flies in late summer. The caterpillars live from July to September. They feed primarily on the flowers and fruits of the common hornwort ( Cerastium fontanum ), the chickweed ( Stellaria nemorum ) or the common water intestine ( Stellaria aquatica ). In the early stages they live completely hidden in the flower. The pupae overwinter, sometimes three times.

Danger

The dwarf moth occurs in Germany in very different numbers in the individual federal states, is absent in certain areas, is lost or endangered and is on the red list of endangered species "on the warning list" in Brandenburg and as "threatened with extinction" in Baden-Württemberg classified.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Arnold Spuler: The butterflies of Europe , Volume 2, E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, 1910, p. 80
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Vladimir Mironov: The Geometrid Moths of the World . In: Axel Hausmann (Ed.): The Geometrid Moths of Europe . 1st edition. Volume 4: Larentiinae II. Perizomini and Eupitheciini . Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2003, ISBN 87-88757-40-4 (English). , Pp. 106-108
  3. ↑ Walter Forster , Theodor A. Wohlfahrt : The butterflies of Central Europe. Volume 5: Spanner. (Geometridae). Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-440-04951-5 , pp. 151-152.
  4. ↑ a b c d e Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 9. Moths VII. Geometridae 2nd part . 1st edition. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2003, ISBN 3-8001-3279-6 . , Pp. 140-144
  5. ↑ initial report of Eupithecia pygmaeata (Hübner, [1799 ) from Switzerland]
  6. ↑ Markku Savela: Tanaecia Butler (1869) - distribution. In: Lepidoptera and some other life forms. Retrieved September 27, 2018 (English).
  7. ↑ Manfred Koch , Wolfgang Heinicke, Bernd Müller: We determine butterflies. Volume 4: Spanner. 2nd, improved and enlarged edition. Neumann, Leipzig / Radebeul 1976, DNB 780451570 , pp. 164-165.
  8. ↑ Endangerment

literature

  • Vladimir Mironov: The Geometrid Moths of the World . In: Axel Hausmann (Ed.): The Geometrid Moths of Europe . 1st edition. Volume 4: Larentiinae II. Perizomini and Eupitheciini . Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2003, ISBN 87-88757-40-4 (English).
  • Günter Ebert (Ed.): The butterflies of Baden-Württemberg. Volume 9. Moths VII. Geometridae 2nd part . 1st edition. Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2003, ISBN 3-8001-3279-6 .

Web links

Commons : Dwarf Moth  - Collection of images, videos and audio files