Cabbage Moth
Cabbage moth ( Mamestra brassicae) with doll
The cabbage moth ( Mamestra brassicae) is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).
- 4.1 Notes and references
- 4.2 Literature
Features
Butterfly
The wingspan is about 36 to 44 millimeters. The color of the forewing is quite variable; from brown to greenish- brown to gray-brown to blackish. Usually two or three transverse dark serrated wavy lines are present, the rand union transverse lines are often lined with white. The kidneys blemish is whitish, the ring blemish filled light brown.
Egg
The egg is hemispherical, flattened at the bottom and heavily ribbed. It is blassweißlich and has a dark, narrow ring and a dark spot at the upper pole.
Caterpillar
The color and pattern of the bead varies considerably. It is colored dark green or brownish on the back, the back - and side- back lines, however, are edged with whitish and slightly darker lines. The stripes on the side are relatively wide and yellowish. The caterpillars can be found from late June to late autumn.
Doll
The pupa is light brown with conical cremaster ( provided with thorns projection at the end of the abdomen ). Then stand close together two long, fine spines.
Similar types and differences
The cabbage looper is different from other similar species, eg the Meldenflureule ( Anarta ( Calocestra ) trifolii ) by a spike at the end of the tibiae of the front legs.
Geographical distribution and habitat
The species is found throughout Europe, with the exception of northern Scandinavia and northern Russia. It comes from the plains to about 2000 meters altitude before.
They are characteristic of the herb grass vegetation on sunny forest clearings, forest edges and forest roads, water banks, but also in gardens. Occasionally there may be mass occurrence.
Way of life
The type flies, depending on the climatic conditions from April to October in two to three overlapping generations. In the higher regions of the Alps (up to 2,000 meters ), however, occurs only one generation from late June to August. The moths are nocturnal, coming to light, and can be baited with sugar. Eggs are laid in flat located to over 100 items to the underside of the leaves of the food plant or pinned. The caterpillar lives individually on a variety of herbaceous plants such as Spinach ( Spinacia oleracea), White Campion ( Melandrium album), Burning Love ( Lychnis chalcedonica ), Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris), turnip (Brassica rapa ), rape ( Brassica napus), cabbage (Brassica oleracea ), garden radish (Raphanus sativus ), peas ( Pisum spp.), hyssop ( Hyssopus officinalis), tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ), black henbane ( Hyoscyamus niger) and tobacco (Nicotiana spp.), plantain ( Plantago major), vegetable marrow (Cucurbita pepo), marigold ( Calendula officinalis ), garden salad ( Lactuca sativa ) and others pupation occurs in the soil. The doll of the last generation winter.