Cabbage looper
Ashen Höckereule ( Trichoplusia ni)
The Ashen Höckereule ( Trichoplusia ni), sometimes referred to as Ni- syllable Owl, is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
The Ashen Höckereule with a wingspan of 30 to 40 millimeters in a medium- sized species of the subfamily of gold owls. The front wings are washed out light ash-gray to reddish- gray in color and have some indistinct, short jagged lines cross with several black arrow corners. A shiny silver shimmering white stain in the form of the small Greek letter gamma, but this is often separated and then rather similar to the small Greek letter Ny, characterizes the kind by the slightly smaller size, the fainter drawing and often reddish gray pubescence of thorax and abdomen, the nature is different from the otherwise similar Gammaeule ( Autographa gamma). The hind wings are gray -brown. At the head of the butterfly is a tuft of hair. The body is hairy furry.
The caterpillars are yellow colored green and have a whitish or yellowish side stripes. The doll is initially light green, brown later.
Similar Species
- Gamma - Owl ( Autographa gamma)
Geographical distribution and habitat
The Ashen Höckereule arrives in Europe mainly in southern areas before and is a migrant butterfly from the subtropics. She flies occasionally to Germany, mainly Bavaria, Baden- Württemberg, Rhineland -Palatinate and North Rhine -Westphalia. Immigrants as far as then propagate the animals perish in winter. In the Alps moths have been found to over 2,000 meters above sea level. The species is found on all continents except Australia, but not in the far north and far south.
Way of life
The Ashen Höckereule flies in several generations. The females of the first generation lay the eggs on the food plant, from which the caterpillars hatch in September. As a food source are the leaves of low plants, such as:
- Nightshade (Solanum )
- Dandelion ( Taraxacum )
- Nettle (Urtica )
The caterpillars overwinter and pupate in the spring of the following year in a white cocoon. The butterfly will fly in May and June. The caterpillars of the second generation live in June and July and found from July to early October, the butterfly.
Endangering
The species is not native to Germany, will be omitted on a classification on the Red List of Threatened Species.