Cyclophora punctaria
Spotted Oak belt tensioner dolls ( Cyclophora punctaria )
The Dotted Oak belt tensioner dolls ( Cyclophora punctaria ), also known as Grey Red Belt tensioner dolls, is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the tensioner ( Geometridae ).
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 25-29 millimeters ( 1st generation); the next generation is usually much smaller and reaches only about 22 mm wingspan. The front wings are beige in color, or have a stab at it reddish or yellowish. The drawing is variable. More pronounced is the average, slightly curved and brown colored transverse line. Root Windwärts follows a strongly curved point number consisting of strong ausgelängten points. Saumwärts a slightly curved point number follows, their points not ausgelängt and farther apart than the points of the root upward lying point number. Another line of highly elongated edge spots follows the edge; However, the fringe is dyed in the color. The drawing elements are continued on the hind wings. The Diskalflecken are barely visible on the front wings usually in the base color and why. Front and rear wings can have greater maroon überstäubte games that are even trained patchy in some specimens with newly hatched butterflies.
The pale whitish, later reddish -spotted eggs are covered with a network of coarse and fine ribs. At the upper end there is a recess in which the micropyle is located. The color of the beads ranges from green to light brown to yellowish green. The back is black, the page with reddish spots occupied, which are framed by yellow oblique lines. The tensioner for the family of rather unusual belt doll is yellowish brown to greenish with four rows of large dark spots back. At the cremaster sit six strong bristles.
Distribution and habitat
The species is mainly distributed in Central and Eastern Europe. To the north, its spread to southern Fennoscandia and the British Isles, to the west across France and in parts of northern Spain, in the south through Italy, the Balkan Peninsula ( except Greece ) and Asia Minor (where only single proofs ). The eastern border of distribution is approximately the Urals. In the Caucasus region, the Nominatunterart is replaced by the subspecies C. punctaria fritzae. The range of this subspecies extends into Iran.
The species is found primarily in wooded areas with scrub oak and oak forests. In Central Europe, it rises in the hills up to 700 meters in the Alps rarely up to 1,200 meters, in southern Europe regularly to 1,300 meters. The species can still be quite common in these habitats. Preference is given to sandy soils.
Phenology and life
The type flies in two generations per year. In the north of its range, the second generation is usually incomplete, in the south a partial third generation may rarely even be formed. The moths of the first generation appear in mid-April and overlap in July with the second generation, which flies to September. The moths are nocturnal and suck on flowers of heather ( Calluna vulgaris) and in moist places. The caterpillars live monophagous on oak as oak (Quercus robur) and sessile oak (Quercus petraea ), depending on which species of oak found in the circulation area. The pupa overwinters.
System
The species was described in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, under the name Phalaena Geometra punctaria first time scientifically. Later, the species was still under the name Phalaena Geometra amata Linnaeus, 1758, Phalaena Geometra teutonica Linnaeus, 1758, Phalaena Geometra fultaria Villers, 1789 Phalaena communifasciata Donovan, 1808 Phalaena unifasciata Donovan, 1808 Geometrasubangularia Haworth, 1809, Geometra ( Ennomos ) acutaria Roquette, 1858 Zonosoma punctaria var naevata craft Berger, described in 1900 and Cosymbia delaeveri Berger, 1949 are junior synonyms therefore.
Cyclophora puntaria is currently divided into two subspecies: the Nominatunterart C. punctaria punctaria fritzae in the largest part of the range and C. punctaria that replaces the Nominatunterart in the Caucasus region and northern Iran.