Cinnabar moth
Jakobskrautbär ( Thyria jacobaeae )
The Jakobskrautbär ( Tyria jacobaeae ), also called Blutbär or Karminbär, is a butterfly (moth ) from the subfamily of the tiger moths ( Arctiinae ).
- 6.1 Notes and references
- 6.2 Literature
Description
The moths reach a wingspan from 32 to 45 millimeters. They are recognized by the two red dots and the long red lines on the wing edge. The ground color of the forewings is black, while the hind wings are colored bright red.
The caterpillars are about 30 mm long. They are bright striped yellow and black. Her head is black and they have few, very long, white hair. To protect themselves, and also to draw attention to their toxicity, they mimic the typical black and yellow warning coloration of wasps ( mimicry ). In the inflorescences of Jacob's ragwort they are difficult to detect by their coloring.
Similar Species
- Russian Bear ( Euplagia quadripunctaria ) ( Poda, 1761 )
- Schönbär ( Callimorpha dominula ) (Linnaeus, 1758)
Habitat
One finds this kind in dry to slightly moist steppe- land with character, on lawns, in quarries, on forest meadows, dry grasslands and scattered at the edges of flowing waters throughout Europe. In the north, the range extends to central Sweden and in the south to the valleys of the Alps, but only up to a height of 1,600 meters. They are more common in the south than in the north, but are rare. In some years, they are often found in places. The moths fly from May to June.
Way of life
The nocturnal animals usually make one generation per year, but there are also incomplete second generations. The caterpillars are gregarious and often sit in larger groups on a plant.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on herbs Greis ( Senecio spp.), Mainly from the poisonous Ragwort ( Senecio jacobaea ), which they owe their name and where they are not easily detected by their color. The poison take the caterpillars on during eating, where they are toxic even for other animals, without taking themselves harm. Some of them eat ( Petasites sp. ) And coltsfoot ( Tussilago farfara ) and Pestwurzen.
Development
The females lay their eggs in small groups on the underside of leaves. The caterpillars are found from July to August. For the winter they pupate on the ground in a cocoon. The moths emerge then next May to June.