Aglaope infausta
Trauerwidderchen ( Aglaope infausta )
The Trauerwidderchen ( Aglaope infausta ) or Rhine - Zwergwidderchen is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of burnet ( Zygaenidae ).
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 15-23 millimeters. They have dark brown or gray-brown forewings with narrow red stripes near the wing root. The hind wings are red and have a broad black-brown hem, which distinguishes them from the heath Grünwidderchen ( rhagades pruni ). The antennae of the males are in contrast to those of the females combed stronger. The Analsegment the female is transformed into a short ovipositor.
The eggs are yellow. The adult caterpillars are short, arched and thick, and are about 12 millimeters long. They are very striking colored, yellow on the sides and in the middle of the back, in between a purple and a silver gray, black enclosed longitudinal binding. They also have short haired small warts. The pupa is brown, with yellow collar and abdomen.
Occurrence
In Central Europe the species is found only in a few places in the Middle Rhine Valley, on the Moselle, in the Rhone valley and in Alsace. More commonly it is found in parts of southern France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Preferred flight area are very warm, dry areas with steppe -like vegetation or climate viticulture. At such times very limited places the species is sometimes very numerous.
Way of life
The females lay eggs in groups on the leaves of forage plants from, which hatch the caterpillars in August. The first two stages of caterpillars still lacks the characteristic colored tint. Hibernation takes place in a cocoon on the branches of the food plant. The following spring, the colorful drawing pattern forms. Pupation usually takes place in May in an elongated, whitish, reddish yellow or light brown, parchment-like cocoon. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of various shrubs such as blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), hawthorn Crataegus monogyna (Crataegus monogyna) and common cotoneaster ( Cotoneaster integerrimus ). The moths fly in one generation a year in June and July. They are diurnal, fly buzzing and low and like to sit on flowers or stems.
Threats and conservation
The species occurs in Germany only in a few places and is run on the Red List in Category R (extremely rare species or species with geographical restriction ).