Auchmis detersa
Berberitzeneule ( Auchmis detersa )
The Berberitzeneule ( Auchmis detersa ), also called Kommaeule, is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).
- 6.1 Notes and references
- 6.2 Literature
Features
Butterfly
With a wingspan 40-51 mm are the moths of the medium sized owl butterflies. The ground color of the fore wings varied in different shades of gray. Kidney and ring stain and cross lines and wavy line are often trained or missing indistinct. Characteristic features are a long, black root beam and a brown black line in the interior angle. Before the hem brown strokes are often indicated. The relatively long and narrow forewings show a corrugated outer edge. On the whitish hind wings, the dark veins stand out clearly. Abdomen and thorax are provided with hair scooping. The antennae of male moths are ciliated, those of the females thready.
Egg
The egg has a spherical shape and a yellowish-white color. It is at the base strongly flattened and provided with strong longitudinal ribs, a few of which reach but the Mikropylzone.
Caterpillar
Adults caterpillars are of erdbrauner or light brown color. Back and side back lines appear blurred. The side stripe is dark brown and resolved into individual patches. The spiracles are black, colored head and pronotum brown.
Doll
The red-brown doll has a short, stem-like cremaster.
Similar Species
Due to the narrow wing shape, the size and basic color, it may on superficial examination to be confused with some types of gray monk Owls ( Cucullia ) are, for example, with the herbal monk ( Cucullia lucifuga ) or the shadow monk ( Cucullia umbratica ).
Synonyms
- Rhizogramma detersa
- Auchmis comma
Geographical distribution and habitat
The distribution of the species extends from Northwest Africa across southern and central Europe to Asia Minor, Iran, Afghanistan and across Siberia to Lake Baikal. The nominate ssp. detersa inhabited central and southern Europe, while the ssp. minoica in Crete occurs. The ssp described from Andalusia. andalusica is considered as a synonym of Fibiger. Outside Europe come the ssp. margarita and ssp. demavendi ago. In the Alps, the nominate form is still to be found up to about 2000 meters altitude. The animals are to be found mainly on warm slopes and edges of fields and in gardens and parks.
Way of life
Main flight time of nocturnal moths are the months of June to September. You like to visit artificial light sources and bait. During the day they rest often on poles or posts. As food plants of the caterpillars live in September primarily serves the barberry (Berberis vulgaris). The caterpillars overwinter and pupate in May of the following year.
Endangering
The Berberitzeneule can only be found in some German Länder, it is absent in the north and is out on the red list of endangered species on the early warning list.