Acronicta cuspis
Alder Pfeileule ( Acronicta cuspis )
The alder Pfeileule ( Acronicta cuspis ), also alder wood moth, heathland - Pfeileule or Gentile Pfeileule is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).
- 6.1 Notes and references
- 6.2 Literature
Features
The moths have a wingspan of 37-45 millimeters. The forewings are gray, blue-gray or dark gray in color. Root line and tornaler line are clearly developed, the inner and outer transverse line are clearly drawn. In contrast, the middle shade is usually good to look only at the leading and trailing edge. The hemline is practically not developed. Ring and kidney stigma are clearly visible, especially on the short black line on which lies between the two blemishes. The fringes have narrow lying between the wing veins strokes. The hind wings are gray in males and females; they are darker towards to the terms. The centerline and the Diskalfleck are indistinct; however, the hem line is drawn in black. The fringes are pale gray with interneuralen strokes. The underside of the wing is gray, wherein the front blades are usually held somewhat darker. On the lower sides of the front and hind wings each of Diskalfleck and the median line is clearly visible. Head and thorax are gray.
The moths can be distinguished only on the basis of external morphology not sure of Pfeileule ( Acronicta psi ) and the trident - Pfeileule ( Acronicta tridens ).
The caterpillars have a black base color, a thin, short hair and have a broad white yellow back and white gray side strips and side red dashes. In the fourth segment features a long, brown hair tufts on the eleventh segment, a cone-shaped, black increase.
The slim doll is black colored brown with a dull cremaster, which is circular covered with short, spine -like bristles.
Similar Species
The moths of alder Pfeileule ( Acronicta cuspis ), the Pfeileule ( Acronicta psi ), and the butterflies of the trident - Pfeileule ( Acronicta tridens ) are very similar. The distinguishing features are listed:
- The moths of A. cuspis and A. tridens are slightly bigger on average, but the absolute magnitude range is almost the same.
- The color shades of the base color differ slightly, A. cuspis often has a bluish tinge. The root line and the line tornale are very much developed. The hind wings of the male are dark gray with relatively clear center line and Diskalfleck. For the other two species, the hind wings are white, except for the hem line ( in A. tridens ) or black dusted along the veins in A. psi.
- The forewings of A. psi is by far the most variable what the base color is concerned; this varies from white to gray monochrome dark gray. The hindwing is blackish along the distal portions of the veins and the hem line. In very dark forms, the hind wings of A. psi be as dark as that of A. cuspis, but is less dusted.
- In contrast, in A. tridens forewing less variable, less drawn and usually darker than in A. psi.
- A. tridens is more common in more moist, bog -like habitats.
Despite the aforementioned distinguishing features is a safe destination only possible through a genital examination at the moths. But as differ the caterpillars of the three types mentioned very clearly, a unique assignment by means of breeding is also possible.
Geographical distribution and habitat
The species occurs in Europe remains widespread, but the distribution is highly fragmented. Thus, the populations in northern Spain and southwest France, and a population in Normandy are isolated by a wide corridor of the Central European population. This range extends from north-eastern and eastern France and South East France through central Europe up to the Ural mountains; from there via Siberia to the Russian Far East, northern China, Korea and Japan. In the north, the range extends to Denmark, Southern Sweden, the southern half of Finland and approximately at the level of 65 ° latitude across Russia to the Urals. In the south reaches a population to central Spain, in Italy the incidence of Northern Italy and the northern half of Sardinia is limited. The southern boundary runs on through the northern part of Croatia, southern Hungary and northern Romania to Ukraine (including Crimea ). Single isolated occurrences are also south of the border known. Isolated occurrences are also described from North West Africa. The species is also found in Asia Minor, in the Caucasus region and Central Asia.
The animals prefer to live in alder trees, bush and bog forests and heathland. In the Alps, they rise up to 2000 meters altitude.
Way of life
The alder Pfeileule is one generation per year, the butterflies fly regionally slightly different from May to August. The moths are nocturnal and come to artificial light sources as well as the bait.
The caterpillars are found from August to September. They feed on the leaves of various alder species, but also of birch (Betula ), hazel (Corylus ) and flour berries ( Sorbus ). They live singly or gregarious on the food plants, often open on the leaf surfaces. Pupation takes place in a commingled with leaves spun on the earth or in stem crevices where the doll also wintered.
System
The species is provided by Fibiger et al ( 2009) in the subgenus Triaena Hübner, 1818, together with Pfeileule ( Acronicta psi ) and the trident - Pfeileule ( Acronicta tridens ). It lists no subspecies.
Endangering
The species occurs in Germany in different frequency and is on the Red List of endangered species in category 3 ( endangered) out. However, the situation in the individual German states is very different. In Thuringia, it is already extinct, in Lower Saxony, North Rhine -Westphalia, Saarland and Saxony, the species is threatened with extinction (category 1), in Brandenburg, Hamburg, Rhineland -Palatinate and Saxony- Anhalt, is at high risk ( category 2). Only in Bavaria, Baden -Württemberg and Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania, it is done "only" in category 3 ( endangered).