Abrostola tripartita
Silver Grey Nettle Höckereule ( Abrostola tripartita )
The Silver Grey Nettle Höckereule ( Abrostola tripartita ) is a butterfly of the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ), which is common in almost all of Europe.
Features
Abrostola tripartita is often confused with other Abrostola species, such as the dark horror Nettle Höckereule ( Abrostola triplasia ) or Milkweed - Höckereule ( Abrostola asclepiadis ). These types differ is difficult even for experts and can sometimes only be done by a genital examination.
The high-contrast light-to dark -gray moth is 27-30 mm span of the smallest of its genus, its front wing, however, is relatively wide. The wing tip is, unlike the other species, not brought forward so far. The midfield is darker than the Saumfeld, which may be white to medium gray. The scales of the black to silver rimmed brokering are partially erect. The Basalfeld has silver-gray and rarely yellow interference. On both sides of the shaft line form black wire lines at the wing tip strong Apikalflecke. Darkened specimens, which have a smoky gray to black color, are also present.
Way of life
The time of flight of flying in two generations butterfly starts depending on the region in April to May and ends in September and October. The species is fairly common and not threatened. Regarding the habitat, the species is quite undemanding, only the caterpillars feed plant which is exclusively nettles, should be present in large quantities. The species overwinters as a pupa.
Name Change
In a wide variety of web sites and in some literature on the genus Abrostola is confusion because tripartita in Linné'schen collection both silver-gray and dark gray Abrostola Abrostola triplasia under the name Phalaena Noctua triplasia were represented, which is why the dark gray Abrostola Type 1864 in A. Trigemina has been renamed. Only in 1993 could be detected by Mikkola & Honey, who carried out a meticulous analysis of the Linné'schen material which copies the Abrostola species were added to the collection later and which originate from Linnaeus' time. This continued from the mid-1990s for the silver-gray kind of present name Abrostola tripartita and for the dark gray type the original name Abrostola triplasia by.