Adscita mauretanica

Adscita mauretanica is a butterfly of the family of burnet ( Zygaenidae ).

  • 4.1 Notes and references
  • 4.2 Literature

Features

The moths reach a forewing length 8.5 to 13.0 mm in males and from 8.5 to 12.3 mm in females. Head, thorax and abdomen shining green, blue-green or blue. The last 8 sensor segments are platelet -like and fused to form a stem. The front upper wing surface shimmers green or blue-green or green with a faint shimmer. The hind wings are dark brownish gray and slightly translucent. The underwings are brownish gray.

The Valven the males are elongated, dorsal longer than ventral. An extension does not exist. The aedeagus is short and powerful, and about 2.5 times longer than wide. On the vesica are two large Cornuti; is a comma-shaped, the other is only slightly curved and nearly straight. In addition, there is a small straight cornutus, which is often lacking, however. The 8th sternite reaches the rear edge of the segment.

In females, the ostium is wide, tall and strong sclerotized. On the Präbursa there are several groups of spines, which vary in number and size of spines. The translucent and longitudinally folded ductus bursae attaches to the Präbursa at right angles. The corpus bursae is egg-shaped and translucent.

The egg is yellowish green.

The caterpillars of the subspecies A. m. wiegeli have a black head and a black-brown body. On the sides or on the belly they are greenish or yellowish white. On the back there is a fine, broken midline. The warts on the back are dirty yellow, the Torah calf A are dark brown. The spiracles are pale brown and indistinct. The abdominal legs and the Nachschieber have the same coloring as the belly. The caterpillars of the subspecies A. m. mauretanica similar to A. m. wiegeli, but they have a strong dark brown ground color and pale yellow warts.

The pupa is reddish brown. The cocoon is blunt spindle-shaped and white to brownish white. It is covered with loosely spun silk, are incorporated into the soil particles and litter.

Similar Species

In North Africa Adscita mauretanica is the only species with club-shaped antennae. In the males, the segments form at the probe tip tooth-like plates, with the females, the segments are thickened.

Subspecies

The subspecies A. m. mauretanica ( Naufock, 1932) is smaller than the subspecies A. m. wiegeli. The antennae are shorter and consist of 30 to 39 segments. Thorax and abdomen lacks the shimmering blue staining. The front upper wing surface is yellowish green and shimmers characteristic. The nominotypical subspecies was described based on specimens from the Rif Mountains in Morocco. Another subspecies, A. m. meson, which was described by Dujardin in 1973, is currently a local mountain form of the subspecies A. m. mauretanica considered.

The subspecies Adscita m. wiegeli ( Alberti, 1973) is greater than the Nominatunterart and has longer probe consisting of 36 to 41 segments. Thorax and abdomen shimmering blue-green or blue, the front wing is dull dull green.

Dissemination

Adscita mauretanica is common in Morocco and northwestern Algeria. The Nominatunterart A. m. mauretanica is in the Middle Atlas, living in the Rif Mountains and the north- western Algeria and settled dry, open grassland 1000-2200 meters altitude. The subspecies Adscita m. wiegeli comes before the High Atlas in Morocco and settled moist to wet grasslands with stands of forage crops in 2000-2900 meters altitude.

Biology

Up to the first wintering caterpillars live minierend stages in the leaves of forage plants. After that, they feed on the leaves. The caterpillars pupate in a cocoon on the ground. The type flies slowly and sometimes is very common. The caterpillar food plants include Rockrose species ( Helianthemum ), in these lives the subspecies A. m. mauretanica. The subspecies A. m. wigeli is at Sorrel ( Rumex acetosa subsp. atlanticus ) to find. The moths fly in the Rif mountains and at lower elevations of the Middle Atlas and the High Atlas from May to August.

Swell

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