Agrotis simplonia
Agrotis simplonia
Agrotis simplonia is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).
Features
The wingspan of the butterfly is from 32 to 40 millimeters. The forewings vary in different shades of gray from ash-gray to blue- gray. Basal, inner and outer transverse line are dark and jagged, ring and pin flaw not visible. The kidneys blemishes are indistinct and slightly obscured. There is often a darker area at the wing tip. Newly hatched butterflies are a light coating of golden scales, which is lost after a short flight duration. The hind wings are gray-brown without markings.
The caterpillar is colored brown gray or olive green, has a dim, bright back line, just such side ridge lines and a wide, slightly wavy side stripes.
Geographical distribution and habitat
The species occurs in the high altitudes of the Alps, Pyrenees, Cantabrian Mountains and the Apennines at an altitude 1200-3000 meters. Outside Europe, it was not found. They prefer open, rocky terrain. The Spanish population was described as Coralita Hospital, 1948.
Way of life
It makes one generation per year, occasionally flying moths depending on their altitude between May and September in October. The moths are nocturnal and like to come artificial light sources. On the day they sit often on stones and rocks where they are because of their gray color hardly visible and thus well protected from predators. In late summer, the caterpillars feed on various grasses. The adult caterpillars overwinter and pupate in the spring.
Endangering
The species occurs only in Germany in the Bavarian Alps, is there area as often and therefore not classified on the red list of threatened species as endangered. In Locality messages from the northern foothills of the Alps, it should be either misidentifications or abducted copies.
System
Fibiger (1990 ) ruled out no subspecies. Light gray specimens from the Apennines, which were formerly known as var calcigena Sohn-Rethel 1929 are placed in the synonymy of the species and interpreted as a marginal population. The earlier regarded as a separate species Agrotis Coralita Hospital, 1948 was united by Fibiger with Agrotis simplobia.