Copper Underwing
Pyramideneule ( Amphipyra pyramidea )
The Pyramideneule ( Amphipyra pyramidea ) is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).
- 3.1 Flight times and caterpillars
- 3.2 food of the caterpillars
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
The moths reach a wingspan from 40 to 52 millimeters. They have gray-brown patterned forewings, where the middle part is black in color. This is down delineated with a thin, partially dotted white binding to the wing tip, the wing approach towards it runs to the wing base color from. In the upper part of this spot sits a small, white, black cored ring.
The caterpillars are about 42 mm long. You have distributed a blue-green color and many white spots on the body. On the back they are slightly lighter in color, making them hard to see on the underside of leaves. The progression from light to dark can run on the sheet its contours with the shadow. At the level of the spiracles is a white, sometimes yellow side line, but on segments three to five missing. At the end of the abdomen, from the tenth segment to the Nachschieber they have a large pyramid-shaped bumps, run on the white lines on the top.
Similar Species
In articles Svensson Pyramideneule ( Amphipyra berbera ) is a comparison of the differences Amphipyra pyramidea vs. Amphipyra berbera listed.
Occurrence
The animals come throughout Europe and the temperate regions of Asia remains widespread and frequent. They live in forests, parks and gardens.
Way of life
The moths are dependent on the final maturity on a strong food intake, which is also indicated by the fact that they are greedy visitors of baits (eg, a slightly fermented mixture of honey and dark beer).
Flight times and caterpillars
The Pyramideneule forms one generation per year, which flies from mid-July to early October. The caterpillars are found from May to early July.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on various deciduous trees and shrubs, including willow (Salix caprea ), common hazel (Corylus avellana ), raspberry (Rubus idaeus ), sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and Common Ash ( Fraxinus excelsior).
Development
The females lay their eggs on the bark of the purple food plants where they survive the winter. They change color to an orange-red later. The caterpillars feed on the underside of leaves, where they are well camouflaged because of their light-dark contrasts.