Anania hortulata

Brennnesselzünsler ( Anania hortulata )

The Brennnesselzünsler ( Anania hortulata, syn. Eurrhypara hortulata ) is a (small) butterfly of the family Crambidae.

Features

The moths reach a wingspan of up to 31 mm ( or a forewing length of 12 to 14 mm). Head and thorax are colored ocher yellow, the abdomen shows a gray-black and yellow banding. The sensors are simple. The wings are in the color white or silver white with a double row of egg-shaped, brownish to blackish gray spots along the dark colored hemline. In the middle of the forewing there is another brownish stain in the root field several brownish stains.

The stocky hairy caterpillars are yellowish or green and weak. Your head capsule is black.

The doll is dark red-brown. It is finely granulated and wrinkled in some places. The cremaster has hook-like, about equally long bristles.

Geographical distribution and habitat

The species is widespread throughout Europe, with the exception of the polar region and in suitable habitats and remarkably frequent. Outside Europe, it is in Asia Minor and through Siberia to the Russian Far East (Lower Amur region ) before. She has since been deported to North America.

The Brennnesselzünsler lives in fresh and semi-moist habitats, such as gardens, forest edges and meadows, preferably where the main food plant nettles.

Way of life

The Brennnesselzünsler forms one generation per year; the crepuscular and nocturnal moths fly from May to mid-September. You spend the day, especially in bushes and nettles on, but can be easily flush out from the vegetation. At night they come to artificial light sources. The caterpillars are found from August to September and after hibernation until May. They live together in spun leaves of their food plants. As food crops are:

• Nettles (Urtica )
• Zieste ( Stachys )
• Mint (Mentha )
• Marrubium and
• Currants (Ribes )

Ian Kimber calls additionally:

• Black nettles ( Ballota )
• Winds ( Convolvulus ) and
• Fence winds ( Calystegia )

The caterpillars overwinter in a cocoon, either in the fallen leaves or in stems, and pupate in the spring in winter cocoon without the beads absorb food again.

Systematics and Taxonomy

The species was described in 1761 by Carl Linnaeus, under the name Phalaena hortulata Linnaeus, 1761 for the first time scientifically. A junior synonym is Phalaena urticata Linnaeus, in 1761. Later, the species was placed in the genus Eurrhypara and was long considered Eurrhypara hortulata known. The genus Eurrhypara Hübner, 1825 2005 synonymized by Patrice Leraut with the genus Anania Hübner, 1823, so Anania hortulata is currently the valid name of this species.

Swell