Antheraea pernyi
Chinese oak silkworm ( Antheraea pernyi ), ♂
The Chinese oak silkworm ( Antheraea pernyi ) is a butterfly of the family of the peacock moth ( Saturniidae ).
- 3.1 Flight time
- 3.2 food of the caterpillars
- 7.1 Notes and references
- 7.2 Literature
Features
Butterfly
The moths reach a wingspan of 110-152 millimeters, the females are larger. Males and females are similarly colored, the latter being colored a bit more contrast. The males have more sickle-shaped curved front wings. The sensors are ocher-brown in males, but black basally. They are less feathery long as the related Japanese oak silkworm ( Antheraea yamamai ). The antennae of the females have fine comb teeth. The moths have a yellow-brown to reddish-brown color. The outer edge of the fore wings is uniform. On both pairs of wings are transparent, usually circular ocelli, which are very thin black border. On the hind wings the border is only slightly thicker front. The Ante median line is not clearly visible, the outer Postmedia line runs straight and barely wavy.
The species can be confused in Europe only with the Japanese oak silkworm, is of this nature but by the long-drawn, black spot on the outer edge of the eye-spots of the hind wings, which encloses a yellow spot, easy to distinguish. In addition, the Chinese oak silk moth is unlike the similar style hardly variable in coloration. However, there is a melanistic format hartii.
Egg
The round to slightly oval eggs measure 2.6 by 2.5 millimeters. They are off-white, color is, however, largely covered by a brown adhesive laying eggs.
Caterpillar
The stocky caterpillars are 80 to 90 millimeters long and occur only in a green color variant. They are about five millimeters long after hatching and have a matt black body and a bright, orange head. Your tubercles are black and have white bristles. From the second caterpillar stage they see the caterpillars of the Japanese oak silkworm very similar, but differ by a beige - orange to beige head which carries five dark spots on both sides of the face.
Doll
The mahogany brown doll is 35 to 45 millimeters long. It is cylindrical, but tapered at each end.
Distribution and habitat
The natural range of Nominatunterart comprises the eastern part of the Palearctic. It occurs in Russia's Far East, Eastern and Central China and Korea. The subspecies Antheraea pernyi Antheraea pernyi korintjiana and are roylei spread from northern India to Southeast Asia. The Nominatunterart was introduced in Europe and here in northeastern Spain demonstrated near Barcelona and the Balearic Islands. It was introduced in Japan on Honshu and Kyushu.
The animals inhabit deciduous forests, dominated by oak woods.
Way of life
The nocturnal moths are strongly attracted by light sources. Often you can see the animals during the day at or near street lights and the like. Most moths emerge in the late morning. They differ to its cocoon at one end and loosen the threads. Only a few females start as early as the following night, to attract males with their pheromones. Mating is usually held shortly before midnight on the second night and lasts up to 24 hours. The females search for the pairing by caterpillars food plants. Then you climb around on them and lay their eggs first in orderly rows at the fastest- to-reach branches from, as they are very slow due to the weight of their many eggs. Only after the deposition of about 30 eggs, the remaining eggs as usual otherwise stored on the plants and then in a larger area in flight.
Flight time
The moths fly in Europe in two generations, especially in May and August.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed mainly on oaks (Quercus ), but they are also found in European beech (Fagus sylvatica), sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), birch (Betula ), hawthorns (Crataegus ), hornbeam (Carpinus ), Prunus species, horse chestnut ( Aesculus ) and a number of other shrubs and trees.
Development
The females lay their eggs in groups of up to five pieces at the leaves of the caterpillar food plants from. After 10 to 14 days the larvae hatch. The newly hatched caterpillars rest first few days under a sheet. From the third stage, the caterpillars are very happy move and eat at a place only for about four days, and then continue to wander. This could be connected with the fact that they eat a lot of leaves in the later stages and then make the stay in one place much attention to themselves would. They are camouflaged by their color well between the sheets. Pupation takes place in a dense, hard, egg-shaped, single-layer, sealed, sand-colored cocoon, which is 50 times 25 millimeters and is covered with a loose gray outer layer of silk. The cocoon is spun in a clump of oak leaves on the food plants and is attached to the nearest branch. The pupa is the overwintering stage.
Specialized enemies
The type of jewel wasps of the genus Eupelmus are detected as parasitoids.
Threats and conservation
The species occurs in Europe only locally. Although she was included in the Red List of endangered species in Spain, but this does not make sense for an introduced species.