Archiearis parthenias
Large Virgin child (male )
The Great Virgin Child ( Archiearis parthenias ), also called birch Virgin child is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the tensioner ( Geometridae ) and its subfamily Archiearinae. The Great Virgin child is one of the diurnal tensioners and flies in the sunshine. The moths are among the first butterflies active in the spring, they can be observed from early March to about the end of April.
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
The male moths reach a wingspan of 31-36 mm ( 28-37 mm), females 33 to 38 millimeters ( 32 to 38 mm). Head, thorax, abdomen and legs are very hairy. The eyes are relatively small, the palps relatively short. A frenulum is present, as is a proboscis. The accessory tympanum is reduced. The front wings are gray-brown with some darker gray to black marbling. Usually there are three spots on the costal margin available, but may be absent. The inner and outer transverse line is clearly marked in females than in males. The hind wings are bright orange -yellow with a brown band along the terms and the apex and a large dark spot on the inner edge. The Diskalfleck is large and brown. The fringes are checkered black and white. In the Hinterflügeläderung Sc R1 clearly stalked about half as long as the cell, the veins Rs and M1. The antennae of the males are slightly denticulate, those of the female simple filiform.
The eggs are pale green and shiny.
The caterpillars are green and have three dark stripes on back fine with margins yellowish. The spiracles are black, the yellow point warts are covered with short black hair. The head is colored green. The four Bauchfußpaare are, albeit rudimentary, developed what is actually a hallmark of cutworms.
The doll is shiny reddish-brown.
Similar Species
- Medium Virgin Child ( Boudinotiana notha ( Hübner, 1803) ).
Geographical distribution and habitat
One finds this kind in bogs, glades and birch forests, also in heathland near birches. It is distributed throughout Europe north of the big mountains (Alps, Carpathians ), but is absent in Ireland. An island -like deposits known from the Pyrenees. In the east, the distribution area over Siberia extends into the Russian Far East and Japan. In the south, the species is found in the north-eastern Turkey and the Caucasus region.
In the north, the incidence is more regular than in the south, and in the Southern Alps, this type comes to about 1000 m above sea level before.
Way of life
Archiearis parthenias is one generation per year. The flight time of the moth ranges from early March ( sometimes even in February ) to late April. However, it is highly dependent on the region. In Northern Europe, and at higher altitudes, the flight time is correspondingly later; u.U. until the beginning of April to end of May. The maximum is reached already in the period from mid-March to mid-April. The moths are diurnal and visit willows, but also leaking tree sap and fresh droppings. They are found in the morning on the floor in the warm spring sun, where they warm up and drink dew drops. In cold weather, they are so stiff that you can knock them off the leaves. The caterpillars are hatched in late April or early May after the foliation of the birches, in northern Europe may only in June to July. You are oligophagous and eat beside the main food crops (different types of birch trees ) also rowan (Sorbus aucuparia ) and beech ( Fagus ). They prefer younger trees. The first stages of caterpillars feed on the kitten later stages hold on loosely interwoven between leaves and feed on tender, fresh driven birch leaves. Pupation takes place in rotting wood or under the bark. The pupa overwinters, is sometimes over a winter. The moths emerge from mid-February to about mid-April.
System
In East Asia, several subspecies of Archiearis parthenias can be distinguished:
- Archiearis parthenias parthenias, Europe and West Asia
- Archiearis parthenias Sajana ( Prout, 1912), Kamchatka, the Amur, Primorye, southern Siberia, northern Mongolia
- Archiearis parthenias Hilara Sawamoto, 1937, Sakhalin
- Archiearis parthenias bella Inoue, 1955, Japan
- Archiearis parthenias elegans Inoue, 1955, Japan