Diurnea fagella

Book moth ( Diurnea fagella )

The book moth ( Diurnea fagella ) or singer is a small butterfly of the family of the wide wing moths ( Chimabachidae ). To name a singer came the way through their caterpillar that can be generated by rapid, scratching movements of the third pair of legs, a chirping noise.

Features

The moths have a wingspan of 19-29 mm. The wings are light gray in color, it is a dark spot pattern. Sometimes animals are found, which are colored so dark that the patterns are blurred with the ground, although these specimens are very rare. In contrast to males, the females have shorter wings, and are thus unable to fly.

The up to 25 mm long green caterpillars have a brown head. The third pair of legs is thickened club-shaped and serves the caterpillar in the " singing ".

Geographical distribution and habitat

The animals are quite common to find in most parts of Central Europe yet. The greatest number of them are found in deciduous and mixed forests.

Way of life

The book moth is one generation per year. The moths fly from March to mid-May. The males can already meet during the day sitting on beech trunks, while females are active until dusk. The caterpillars are found from June to October. The caterpillars feed on:

• European beech (Fagus sylvatica)
• English oak (Quercus robur)
• Silver Birch (Betula pendula)
• Goat Willow (Salix camprea )

The caterpillars are despite their polyphagia usually found on beech trees.

Swell