Abrostola asclepiadis
Milkweed - Höckereule ( Abrostola asclepiadis )
The milkweed - Höckereule ( Abrostola asclepiadis ), also called Schwalbenwurzeule, is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
Butterfly
The moths reach a wingspan of 29-38 millimeters. From the brown ground color, the yellow-brown root field stands out clearly. This can sometimes also take pink tints. The flaws are outlined in black. The Saumfeld is brightened somewhat and contains thin, black wire lines, which are characteristic of the species. It is also characteristic, the black outer cross line which opens almost vertically to the front edge. The hind wings are brown gray without markings. The body of the butterfly is hairy furry. At the top there is a clearly erect tufts of hair, the following are some shorter on the abdomen.
Caterpillar, and chrysalis
The very distinctive caterpillars are bluish -white in color and provided with a plurality of small black dots. Striking is a wide yellow side stripes. It is similar in some ways, some caterpillars of the genus shargacucullia, such as those of the mullein - monk ( shargacucullia verbasci ).
The doll is more bent bristles on the wrinkled cremaster.
Similar Species
- In the dark horror Nettle Höckereule ( Abrostola triplasia ) outweigh dark gray color scheme. It has narrower forewings and usually ocher-colored root field. The outer cross line opens at an acute angle to the inner edge.
- The Silver Grey Nettle Höckereule ( Abrostola tripartita ) has a high-contrast gray-brown to silver- gray base color. The black vein lines in the apex usually appears as a dark Apikalflecke both sides of the shaft line. With a wingspan from 27 to 35 millimeters is in tripartita to one of the smaller of the compared here Abrostola species.
- Abrostola agnorista shows narrower forewing, is a total monotonous colored dark gray and has a light brown root field. The butterflies are missing the black vein lines in Saumfeld.
- Abrostola clarissa is colored brown gray in the overall appearance of smaller and much paler.
- A confusion with the slightly lighter colored kind Abrostola canariensis is excluded insofar as this is found only on the island group Selvagens, the Canary Islands, which do not belong to the habitat of asclepiadis.
To obtain a free doubt result in determining a genitalmorphologische examination can be performed.
As clearly distinguish the asclepiadis caterpillars from those of the other Abrostola species, a unique assignment is possible by means of breeding.
Distribution and occurrence
The species is widespread in southern and central Europe. It also occurs in north-eastern Turkey, the Caucasus and in Transcaucasia. In the Alps, it rises to heights of about 1500 meters. It inhabits mainly warm and dry areas, for example, sunny slopes, forest edges, rocky slopes and Ödländereien.
The life and habitat
It is in the milkweed - Höckereule a crepuscular and nocturnal moths, flies from May to September. He visited artificial light sources, but only sporadically bait. Sometimes he is also to be found sucking on flowers. The caterpillars feed on milkweed ( Vincetoxicum hirundinaria ). They have succeeded in adapting to the toxic secondary plant substances. The very distinct coloration of caterpillars can be interpreted as a warning costume to draw attention to their toxicity. The species overwinters in the pupal stage.
Endangering
In Germany, the species occurs regionally in different numbers before, is usually rare and out on the red list of endangered species on the early warning list.