Catoptria falsella
Catoptria falsella
Catoptria falsella is a butterfly of the family Crambidae.
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 16-24 millimeters (or a forewing length 8-9 mm). and have white, brown and yellowish brown subscribed forewings, which are often dusted stripe-like brown. A narrow, outgoing from the wing base vertical white line towers above the wing center. In the outer region, just before the hem is a strongly -lobed cross line is with a peak in returning to the inner edge. The lateral line is crossed in the bulge of three thin, extending from the tip of the white vertical stroke dark longitudinal lines. The hind wings are brownish gray.
The caterpillars are greenish, and have a brown head and a brown neck shield.
Similar Species
The species is very similar to some other Catoptria species, such as C. confusella Staudinger, 1881, C. staudingeri (Zeller, 1863), C. incertella ( Herrich -Schäffer, 1852) and C. verellus ( Zincken, 1817). Only confusella C. and C. Verella come before together with C. falsella. In C. confusella emanating from the base longitudinal stroke is shorter and sharpened at the end, the subterminal transverse line is a little further away from the hem and reversed curved S-shaped. C. has no Verella submarginale curved transverse line.
Geographic occurrence and habitat
The species is widespread, often common in almost all of Europe except for the polar regions before and in Asia Minor. In the Iberian Peninsula and the British Isles it occurs only locally.
Catoptria falsella prefers dry to moist sites in forests ( mixed and coniferous forests ) and scrubland. In the Alps, it rises to at least 2000 m.
Way of life
Catoptria falsella forms two generations a year, flying the moth from mid-May to mid-October. In the north of its range only one generation is formed. The moths are active at dusk and are attracted by artificial light sources. During the day they hide in the moss of old walls, stones and rocks. The oligophagen caterpillars feed on mosses, mainly due to wall - rotation -moss ( Tortula muralis ), roof rotary -moss ( Tortula ruralis ) and vulgar short sleeve moss ( Brachythecium rutabulum ), but also in other beard mosses ( Barbula ) and rotary tooth mosses ( Tortula, family Pottiaceae ). Within the moss of old walls, roofs, planks, rocks and boulders lay the tracks to fantasies where they overwinter and pupate.
Systematics and Taxonomy
The taxon was described in 1775 by Michael Denis Johann Ignaz and Schiffermueller as Crambus falsellus first time scientifically. The holotype came from Saxony [Note 1] and is lost. The species is so far quite uniform to the genus Catoptria Hübner, 1825. Still exist some junior synonyms.