Shargacucullia prenanthis
Figwort forest monk ( shargacucullia prenanthis )
The figwort forest monk ( shargacucullia prenanthis ), also known as Sweet Amber mullein monk, is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
Butterfly
With a wingspan 37-43 mm are the moths of the medium sized monk owl species. The front wings are ocher brown staining. The inner edge portion is dark brown and expanded significantly in the form of a stage direction hem. There is a single, bright, crescent-shaped mark approximately in the center of this area. Through the inner edge can be seen in the middle of an off-white field. The hem is slightly serrated. Cross lines and blemishes are not recognizable. The front edge is wide, dark brown to reddish brown and goes inward gradually into lighter hues. The visually marked hind wings are brownish in color. On head and neck typical of monk hood owls can be seen, which is formed from highly directional forward hair. On the abdomen there are other, shorter hair tufts.
Egg
The egg is spherical, at the base, however, strongly flattened and ribbed. It has a chalk-white color.
Caterpillar
Adults caterpillars have a green tint of the stand out narrow yellowish or whitish back - side and back - side lines. They do not show the colorful and bright warning colors pattern that characterizes many other monk owls caterpillars and look rather insignificant.
Doll
The doll is colored yellow ocher. Particularly striking is the shovel-shaped hollowed cremaster.
Similar Species
Some similar species from the large number of " brown monks " are selected in the following:
- Asters Monk ( Cucullia asteris )
- Dog figwort monk ( shargacucullia caninae )
- Shargacucullia gozmanyi
- Grey wool Powdered herb monk ( shargacucullia lychnitis )
- Mullein Monk ( shargacucullia verbasci )
- Figwort monk ( shargacucullia scrophulariae )
- Shargacucullia scrophulariphaga
- Shargacucullia scrophulariphila
- Missing person mullein Monk ( shargacucullia thapsiphaga )
Of the above species, distinguished by the following features prenanthis his front wing:
- The slightly wider and shorter form
- The weakly corrugated outer edge
- The white box above the inner edge
- The individual and weakly curved crescent spot
- The strikingly pronounced step in the dark boundary line of the inner edge
For confirmation can also be consulted genitalmorphologische an investigation.
Occurrence and habitat
The species is distributed from southeastern France across the Alps with the adjacent uplands and further east to Romania and Bulgaria. It also occurs in Asia Minor and Lebanon. In the lowlands it is missing, since it is a typical inhabitant of the mountain and hill country. S. prenanthis has an allopatric sister species shargacucullia armena, which is native to Turkey and Armenia. The figwort forest monk is mostly found in moist deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests, provided ample stocks of Gnarled figwort ( Scrophularia nodosa ) are present. It can sometimes also be found in places outside of forests, if there the food plant grows.
Way of life
It makes one generation per year, with the main flight period of nocturnal butterflies runs from April to June. They appear occasionally on artificial light sources. The females lay eggs on the underside preferably not full -blown flower buds from. The caterpillars feed from June to August from various types figwort ( Scrophularia ), especially Gnarled figwort ( Scrophularia nodosa ). They pupate in the fall in a solid cocoon on the ground, where the dolls are sometimes over two years.
Endangering
The figwort forest monk is proven secure in the German states of Bavaria, Baden- Württemberg, Rhineland -Palatinate and Hesse and is run on the red list of endangered species on the early warning list.