Dolbina elegans
Dolbina elegans is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of moth ( Sphingidae ).
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 40-53 millimeters. They are brown - gray to black colored in different shades and thus relatively inconspicuous. Eggs, caterpillars and pupae are unknown, it is thought that the caterpillars are yellowish after hatching.
Occurrence
The species is distributed from the Ukraine, Moldova, on the east of Romania and Bulgaria to the east and south, the north of Greece, the western and southern Turkey to northern Syria, West Jordan, Israel, northern Iraq and northern Iran. It is on the basis of current research, however, not be excluded that it is widespread in other parts of Asia.
The animals mainly colonize sparse forests and bushland along alluvial alluvium in agriculturally cultivated valleys and wooded ravines adjacent to this. In some regions, the species is restricted by over-exploitation and habitat destruction on the latter habitats. In Israel and Jordan can be found in the nature of wooded, moist ravines adjacent to rivers. These habitats are moist than the surrounding areas, so they are covered with numerous small stature ash covering areas through a closed canopy.
Way of life
The life of the caterpillar is unknown. It is believed that feeds the type as well as the rest of the Asia widespread species of the genus Dolbina of ash trees (Fraxinus ). The adults fly in two, sometimes three generations from April / May to early September. In Europe they mainly fly in July, where they are regularly encountered in southern Bulgaria in April and July. The animals are not very active and fly only a short time after dusk, close to the ground. What parasitoids infest the type is unknown.