Cyclophora albipunctata
Birch belt tensioner dolls ( Cyclophora albipunctata )
The Birch belt tensioner dolls ( Cyclophora albipunctata ), also known as White Ring Fleckenspanner, is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the tensioner ( Geometridae ).
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 23-27 mm; the second generation is slightly smaller and has often only 20 mm wingspan. The apex of the forewing is slightly pointed, slightly skipped the middle of the outer edge of the hind wings. The basic color is usually whitish, whitish to light brown. In some specimens the central shadow can be easily dusted reddish. The drawing is very variable. Inner and outer transverse line are almost always resolved in point rows or may also be almost extinguished. The dots represent the costal margin usually slightly denser, the costal edge can be dusted in the dark wurzelwärtigen half. The middle shade is sometimes quite significantly developed as a broad means binding, but it can also almost completely absent. Saumflecke are almost always developed in Saumfeld more or less clear, mostly flow into each other, somewhat darker spots are sometimes present. The Diskalflecke are as dark, white developed cored rings. You may also be slightly elliptical or be reduced to simple, easy- reddish spots. The Diskalflecke the forewings are often reddish-brown edged, if any, Diskalflecke of the hind wings, however, are mostly black.
The egg is longitudinally oval, the surface is divided by längsgewundene ribs into small cells. It is after oviposition initially greenish white and later yellow gray with red spots.
The color of the caterpillar is almost extremely variable; it come before green, brown, gray and gray-brown caterpillars that also often have a drawing. The segments are always significantly constricted segments and / or constrictions can contrast clearly. The head is usually clearly colored differently than the body. Often, the head facing the top two, usually lighter longitudinal stripes.
The pupa is green when the caterpillar pupates on green leaves and turns brown when the leaves fall in autumn. Find the pupation already over dry leaves instead, the doll is immediately brown. It is flattened relatively slender with black elytra and easily. On the back four rows of black dots are developed. The front end is pulled in two peaks, the cremaster runs from relatively pointed. At the end sit six strong, curved bristles.
Geographical Distribution and habitat
The distribution of the species is temperate Palaearctic. The southern boundary runs north of the Alps and at this height from there to the west on the French Atlantic coast and the British Isles. In the East, the proliferation extends to the Pacific Ocean. South of the Northern Alps line the type still exists in some higher areas and mountains. Thus, in the Pyrenees, the Massif Central, the Southern Alps, the northern Dinarides, in the western and northern Carpathians, in northern Turkey and the Caucasus. In the north, the range extends up to the Arctic Circle. In the Far East, however, the Nominatunterart is replaced by the subspecies Cyclophora albipunctata griseolata Staudinger, 1897.
The species prefers temperate latitudes and there comes from the plains up to 800 m altitude before. In the Southern Alps and the Pyrenees it rises to 1500 m. She lives in humid forests, bogs, heathlands, scrublands, but also in gardens, in which occur the food plants of the caterpillars, birch (Betula spp.).
Phenology and life
The species is usually bivoltin, that is, it forms two generations a year. The moths fly from mid-April to early June and again from mid-June to late August. However, this information can shift depending on climatic conditions each forward or backward. In southern Germany and in the Southern Alps, the moths an incomplete third generation may appear in the September / October. In the north of its range, however, only one generation is formed. The moths are crepuscular and nocturnal. During the day they rest on the trunks of birch trees, rarely also of other trees. They are attracted by artificial light sources and can also be baited. The moths were at Greis herbs ( Senecio ) and thistles ( Cirsium ) watched as they sucked nectar from the flowers.
The caterpillars feed on virtually monophagous of birch (Betula ), depending on the region of the Silver Birch (Betula pendula), dwarf birch (Betula nana ) and / or the downy birch (Betula pubescens). Very rarely, oaks (Quercus ), alder ( Alnus ) and beech (Fagus ) are mentioned as food plants. However, there may these statements relate to food crops that have been used in breeding and not on food plants in the wild. The caterpillars pupate in the trees, the doll is attached to the leaves. It coincides with the falling leaves in the autumn on the ground. The pupa overwinters.
System
The species was described in 1767 by Johann Siegfried Hufnagel under the name Phalaena albipunctata first time scientifically. Due to the large variability in color and drawing, the species has been described under another ten names. A name is accepted as a subspecies name. Currently, the species is only divided into two subspecies: . Nominatunterart in the Cyclophoa albipunctata albipunctata and Cyclophora albipunctata griseolata Staudinger, 1897 The latter replaces the Nominatunterart in the Far East of about Kamchatka to Korea.
Endangering
The species is relatively common in Germany and is not endangered as.