Campaea margaritata
Perlglanzspanner ( Campaea Margaritaria ), female
The Perlglanzspanner ( Campaea Margaritaria ), also known as silver leaf, is a medium sized butterfly (moth ) the family of the tensioner ( Geometridae ). His German style name and its English style name ( " Light Emerald " ) owes the Perlglanzspanner its bright emerald-green coloration.
Description
Fresh Imagines have bright green wings with almost straight green white horizontal lines, two each on the front wings and one on the hind wings. As with most releases with green leaf color fades also apply when Perlglanzspanner with time, sometimes so far that some older individuals appear almost pure white. The transverse lines on the fore wings are then sometimes unrecognizable. The wingspan is 30 to 40 millimeters, whereas the females are usually significantly larger than the males. The antennae of the males are pinnate, the filiform in females. From the resting animal they are placed under the wings.
The Perlglanzspanner can be confused with any other species of the genus Campaea. The Nearctic Campaea perlata is very similar to Perlglanzspanner, but slightly smaller and usually darker in color. The horizontal stripes on the wings are curved more in Campaea perlata. Since it does not occur in the Palaearctic, there is no likelihood of confusion.
Larval development
The first eggs are laid in May. Shortly after hatching, the caterpillars. The greenish brown or gräulichbraunen caterpillars feed on various deciduous trees, such as apple trees, birch, beech, elm, hawthorn, hazel, oak and various Prunus species. They grow quickly and are 35 to 40 millimeters long. The caterpillars are almost completely hairless. Only in the vicinity of the legs there are some hair. The species overwinters as a larva. The overwintering larvae feed in the winter of soft beef ingredients of their food trees and are therefore often find in a prominent position at the top of their branches fodder trees. Color- and structurally similar to their skin the bark. Some caterpillars pupate in the summer and form a second generation, which flies to around a month-long metamorphosis from July to October.
Flight time
The nocturnal animals fly in two generations in the season between May and October and are attracted to light. The development of the second generation is climate dependent and does not come in Northern Europe and in the low mountain ranges.
Habitat
As the caterpillars feed on various deciduous trees Perlglanzspanners, they are found in habitats such as mixed forests, parks and large gardens.
Dissemination
The distribution area of Perlglanzspanners spans Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.