Acronicta euphorbiae
Milkweed moth ( Acronicta ( Viminia ) euphorbiae )
The milkweed moth ( Acronicta euphorbiae ) or Wolfsmilcheule is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ). It is very closely related to the sandy heaths moth ( Acronicta cinerea). Some authors even dispute until the recent time the independence of the two species.
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of about 33 to 38 millimeters. The ground color of the forewings is usually light gray; However, there are also very dark specimens. The ground color varies greatly depending on climatic and ecological factors. The inner and outer transverse line are clearly drawn, strongly serrated outer transverse line. The stigma is usually formed significantly. A Basalstrich is indistinct or absent. The apex of the forewing is slightly pointed.
The hind wings are white in males, gray in females. There is a faint center line and a Diskalfleck available.
The egg has the form of a flat, somewhat irregular cone with the top cut off. The surface is covered with fine, irregular longitudinal ribs. The egg is initially yellowish, later dark brown with red polka dots and a dark brown dot row to the egg.
The caterpillars are usually blackish in color, have dark, hairy warts and yellow or red side stripes. Above this are usually large, white or yellow triangle patches. There is a yellow-red, transverse spot back with the second segment. The head is black with a white angle. The adult caterpillar is up to 36 mm long.
The doll is colored black brown. At the cremaster are many, short, straight bristles.
Similar Species
The milkweed moth is very similar to the sand heaths moth ( Acronicta cinerea ), if it ever is two ways. The wingspan is moving in the same order of magnitude, the sandy heaths moth is average but slightly smaller. The apices of the forewings are tipped more in A. euphorbiae, and the color is usually lighter. The outer transverse line is more jagged and the cross lines and blemishes are more apparent contrast drawn. A determination of the moths only by the color and the drawing of the wings is not safe to do. For this purpose, a genital examination at the butterflies is necessary. Probably also the location of meaningful, since the distribution areas likely to exclude. Since distinguish the larvae of the two species very clear, an unambiguous assignment means breeding is also possible. The caterpillars of A. euphorbiae have a yellow -red back spot on the second segment and yellow side stripes.
The other beef owls are often very similar. They differ as follows:
- Gold hair moth ( Acronicta auricoma ), with very distinct, almost circular and black-rimmed ring Brokering and darker Wurzelstrieme.
- Great head moth ( Acronicta megacephala ), with roughly pollinated forewings and significantly lightened between renal field defect and outer transverse line.
- Maple moth ( Acronicta aceris ), dusted with a very light gray and zeichnungsarm front wings and much larger moths.
- Moorland moth ( Acronicta menyanthidis ), with whitish-gray fore-wings, very small ring brokering without a center and with dark Wurzelstrieme.
Geographical distribution and habitat
The milkweed moth is south of a line spread in Europe, the northern Scotland, north-eastern Netherlands / North West border with Germany, south-east of the Ural mountains, runs through the northern Czech Republic, southern Poland, across the Ukraine and southern Russia.
The animals prefer to live in the hills, on warm, sunny slopes, grassy heathland and forest edges. In the Alps, they rise to over 2500 meters altitude.
Way of life
The milkweed moth forms two generations per year. The moths of the first generation fly from April to June, the. Second generation from July to September They are nocturnal and also visit artificial light sources. The caterpillars of the first generation can be found in August and September, those of the second generation mainly in June. They feed on the leaves of many different plants. These include: Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias ) and birch (Betula ), restharrow ( ononis ), bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), yarrow (Achillea ), sorrel ( Rumex ), mugwort (Artemisia ) and others. The pupa overwinters.
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 is very different in the individual federal states. In Saarland, it is already extinct, in Saxony- Anhalt, is threatened with extinction. In Baden- Württemberg, Lower Saxony and Saxony it is highly threatened.