Malacosoma castrense
Spurge Spinner - dorsal view
- 3.1 Flight times and caterpillars
- 3.2 food of the caterpillars
- 6.1 Notes and references
- 6.2 Literature
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 24-42 millimeters. The males have run light grayish ocher-colored forewings on which dark brown transverse lines between the wing -thirds. The first line, closer to the wing root, is slightly wider and running strong. In the Diskoidalregion, approximately in the middle of wing, the two transverse lines come together to form an X-shaped, dark spot. The wings are dark brown dusted between the spot and the wing outer edge inside the lines. Along the middle of the last third of wing extends another, somewhat faded, but broader, dark brown transverse line. The hind wings are dark brown -colored. On the thorax the males wear tight, bright ocher- yellow hair. The females have a brown forewing ground color. You have two broad, different widths running, pale ocher yellow binding on each of the front wings thirds bordering a broad, dark brown stripe between them. The hairs on the thorax are the same as the wings, brown in color.
The caterpillars are about 60 mm long and see where the marigold Spinners very similar. They also have a gray-blue ground color, its topline is bright but weaker, but next to the orange and dark longitudinal lines, the yellow lines are formed stronger. At the top they lack the black eye patch.
Subspecies
- Malacosoma castrense castrense (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Malacosoma castrense krymea Sheljuzhko, 1943
Similar Species
- Lackey Moth ( Malacosoma neustria ) (Linnaeus, 1758)
Occurrence
The animals come in all of Europe except in the far north, east to the Black Sea before, but they are missing in the Mediterranean region, in western France, and in many parts of England. In Germany they come from the north rather rare in the south common. The populations are almost everywhere sharply. They live in sunny, dry and warm areas, such as on calcareous oligotrophic grasslands, heaths and on other rocky and sandy areas.
Way of life
Flight times and caterpillars
The moths fly from late June to mid-August, the caterpillars to take place from May to June.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed mainly of cypress spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias ), but also from various other plants such as of Small burnet ( Sanguisorba minor) and meadow knapweed (Centaurea jacea ).
Development
The females lay their eggs in annularly arranged about two inches long opportunity to thin stems, more rarely branches. The caterpillars hatch after overwintering in late April, early May. They live in a social web on the ground, into which they retire for skinning and also in feeding breaks. After the last moult they are solitary and pupate in mid to late June in a cocoon, which is powdered lemon yellow.
Threats and conservation
- Red List BRD: 3 (endangered ).