Geometer moth

Argyle beef tensioner ( Peribatodes rhomboidaria )

The tensioner ( Geometridae ) are a family of butterflies. They come with an estimated 26,000 species worldwide and are thus one of the largest butterfly families. They are counted among the moths, but there are also some species that are diurnal.

  • 6.1 Notes and references
  • 6.2 Literature

Features

Characteristics of the moths

The moths reach a wingspan of 10 to 70 millimeters. Almost all species have a slender body that is rarely short or elongate, usually the body is of medium length. The front wings are usually wide and 1.6 to 2.2 times longer than wide. There are but few species whose forewings more than twice as long, are as wide. Your coloring is often kept in gray or brown tones, but there are many very colorful and lively colored species. Within each species, the coloration is highly variable part. The hind wings are mostly broadly rounded and about the same width as the front wings. The wings of the males are always well developed in some females but they are stunted ( brachypterous species, such as the little winter moth ( Operophthera brumata ) ) or have no wings on ( aptere types, such as: the Spring Cross wing ( Alsophila aescularia ) ). The antennae are short to medium in length and are approximately 0.4 to 0.6 times as long as the forewing. The antennae of the males are either filiform, combed or pinnate. You do not have simple eyes ( ocelli ). Your Maxillarpalpen are much reduced form, Their proboscis is well developed in almost all species, with some but he is reduced. The moths have Tympanalorgane on the abdomen.

The forewings have 11 or 12 wing veins, usually with an anal vein (1b ), and yet you can see the heavily reduced cores 1a and 1c. Rarely have two Analadern (1a and 1c). The hind wings have 8 or 9 wires with a (1b or 1a ) or two ( 1a and 1b) Analadern.

Features of the crawler

The caterpillars have a very peculiar way to get around, and it can be seen without doubt. Since, in contrast to most other butterfly species have four pairs of legs, abdomen, chest beside the three pairs of legs and the Nachschieber have only one pair of legs, stomach, they can not move like a caterpillar. They cling to the first thoracic legs and tighten the abdominal approach to the chest, so that the body describes the shape of a large Omegas. Then the caterpillar on Nachschieber and belly pair of legs stretched forward clinging to then attract the abdomen again.

In its coloring and shape the caterpillars are usually adapted to their environment ( mimesis ) and imitate as small twigs. This Tarntracht is developed in some species to great perfection, with little body appendages ( meat cones) mimic the termination points of lateral branches or buds.

The caterpillars feed freely sitting on their food plants.

Way of life

The animals are mainly nocturnal and crepuscular, but there are also species such as the Hartheu clamps ( Siona lineata ), the only fly in the day. A striking feature of the tensioners is that almost all species have their wings spread out flat in the rest position and thus the hind wings are at least partially visible. Only a few species they work together so that they stand or fold them together above the abdomen vertically above the abdomen upwards.

In Europe there are some species that can be observed even in the cold seasons during the flight, such as the winter moth. The females of the cold -loving species are mostly those with reduced or absent wings.

Designation

Originally derived from ancient Greek, Geometridae scientific name is derived from surveyor ( surveyor ). The peculiar mode of locomotion of caterpillars has led to this comparison with the measurement. You can think about, such as along a straight line span for span is measured by the little finger is extended to large hand span and the thumb is dragged over again. The movement of the finger then similar to the movement of the caterpillar. This is also reflected in the German term " release " resist. The English name inch moths ( moths inch ) therefore its origin.

System

The Geometridae family is divided into nine subfamilies.

In Europe, more than 1,000 species have been described so far, of which 510 species occur in Central Europe.

Phylogeny

Until now reigns over the phylogeny of the tensioner ( Geometridae ) there is no consensus. Therefore here two recently published cladograms are placed next to each other without comment. Within the family Geometridae probably the subfamilies Archiearinae and Alsophilinae are more primitive than the remaining families ( morphological data). According to molecular data, the Archiiearinae form the sister taxon of Ennominae / Geometrinae / Alsophilinae. Due to the new molecular data is the monophyly of Ennomiinae in the discussion. The Oenochrominae are probably a collective group whose genres do not fit into other families, however, are closer to each other probably not related.

The cladogram of Holloway (1997) (off) is still based partly on morphological data

Sterrhinae

Larentiinae

Desmobathrinae

Geometrinae

Orthostixinae

Ennominae

Oenochrominae

Alsophilinae

Archiearinae

The phylogeny of the Geometridae by Abraham et al. (2001), however, is based solely on molecular data

Archiearinae

Geometrinae

Ennominae

Ennominae

Alsophilinae

Sterrhinae

Larentiinae

Swell

Glossata William Elford Leach Claude Herbulot
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