Cryphia algae
Dark green Flechteneule ( Cryphia algae )
The Dark green Flechteneule ( Cryphia algae ) is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ). Over the past 250 years, various German names for this kind were discovered and published, but none of them has come to be or has become generally known: Aepfeleule, malic Eulenphalene, The teutsche Steinflechteneule, Plündrerin, Moss Green Bindchen, algae owlets, Algeneule, Dark Green Algeneule, Baumflechteneule, Hain- Baumflechteneulchen.
- 6.1 Literature
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 22-26 millimeters. Their forewings are mixed colors gray or black gray and moss green. The root field is brighter than the middle. The Saumfeld is often greenish. The hind wings are gray-brown, slightly lighter in the root zone.
Similar Species
- Cryphia pallida ( Bethune Baker, 1894)
- Cryphia ochsi ( Boursin, 1940)
- Cryphia rungsi ( Boursin, 1940)
- Cryphia receptricula ( Hübner, 1813)
Synonyms
- Noctua algae (Fabricius, 1775)
- Phalaena algae (Fabricius, 1775)
- Bryophila algae (Fabricius, 1775)
- Metachrostis algae (Fabricius, 1775)
- Euthales algae (Fabricius, 1775)
- Noctua degenerate ( Denis & Schiffer Müller, 1775)
- Noctua spoliatricula ( Denis & Schiffer Müller, 1775)
- Phalaena Noctua calligrapha ( Borkhausen, 1792)
- Phalaena Noctua chloris ( Borkhausen, 1792)
- Noctua mendacula ( Hübner, 1813)
Distribution and occurrence
The species is distributed from southern Europe through central Europe and further north to the North and Baltic Seas. From Great Britain, Denmark, Finland and the Baltic States are individual observations, which were interpreted as immigrants. In Asia, the Dark Green Flechteneule from Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Turkmenistan and Iraq was reported. These data require confirmation, since confusion with similar species can not be excluded. The Dark green Flechteneule prefers to live in deciduous and mixed forests, urban areas, to orchards and generally in areas that include hardwoods with abundant lichens.
Way of life
The moths are nocturnal and very secretive. They sit at overgrown with lichen tree trunks where they are because of their cryptic to predators for barely visible. The caterpillars feed on lichens on hardwood and fruit trees and are particularly found on old oak trees.
Flight times and caterpillars
The moths fly from July to August. The caterpillars are found from September. These overwinter and pupate in June of the following year.