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Trapezeule ( Cosmia trapezina )
The Trapezeule ( Cosmia trapezina ) is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ). The caterpillars of the species are known in the literature as murder caterpillars, as they have come under growing conditions regularly and eat conspecifics. In the wild, they fall mainly smaller caterpillars of other butterflies to the victim.
Features
Imago
The moths have a wingspan of 29-36 millimeters. The forewings have a base color ranging from yellow -gray, brown -gray to red-gray and brown black. Sometimes the animals are black dusted. The drawing, however, is relatively constant. Inner and outer transverse line are lighter, almost white, sometimes also lined black. The inner transverse line runs almost straight from the inner to the leading edge, whereas the outer transverse line includes a broad sinus on. Means shadow and wavy line, however, are often only hinted at; they are usually a bit darker than the ground color. Ring and kidney blemish can scarcely be visible by a bright border to be very clearly distinguished, but also by a lack of border. The kidneys blemish has a black eye patch. The hemline is decorated with black dots. The hind wings are uniformly gray, apart from the yellow fringe. The underside of both wings is also gray, the edges are yellowish. The outer transverse line clearly on both wings; it is always a Diskalfleck available.
Egg
The egg is hemispherical with clear, slightly undulating longitudinal lines. It is white and has a red band.
Caterpillar
The caterpillar is greenish-blue with a bright, slightly darker lined topline. It is interrupted by the yellow segment boundaries. Also white are the side ridge lines. The bright side strip is bounded above by a dark zone. Another longitudinal white line located just above the legs. The point warts are black, often outlined in white, the stigmas exclusively black. The head is yellow-green with an angled drawing.
Doll
The pupa is light brown.
Lifestyle and deposits
The Trapezeule occurs mainly in forests, thickets, gardens and parks. It is widespread in Central Europe and most everywhere quite frequently. It makes one generation per year. The moths are nocturnal and often come to artificial light sources. You can lure slightly. The moths fly from mid-June to September. The eggs are deposited on various deciduous trees. The egg overwinters. The caterpillars are polyphagous on willow ( Salix), Hornbeam (Carpinus ), common hazel (Corylus avellana ), birch (Betula ), oak (Quercus ), beech (Fagus ), elm (Ulmus ), pear (Pyrus ), apples (Malus ). Hawthorn (Crataegus ), Rubus, Roses (Rosa), Prunus, Sorbus, maples ( Acer), Linden (Tilia ), ash (Fraxinus ), dogwood (Cornus ), brown Wurzen ( Scrophularia ), blueberries (Vaccinium ) and elderberry (Sambucus ). However, they also feed on animal foods - such as caterpillars of the small winter moth ( Operophtera brumata ), the fall Rauhaareule ( Asteroscopus sphinx ) and the Blue Oak tip moth ( Quercusia quercus ) - and are therefore also referred to as a murder caterpillars; The caterpillars are found mainly in May and June. They pupate in a cocoon in the earth or between leaves.
Dissemination
The species occurs in almost all of Europe. In the north, the range extends to about the middle in Fennoscandia, in the east to the Urals. The species is also found in North Africa, Asia Minor, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Caucasus Central Asia prior to China, Korea and Japan. The nature rises in the Alps at up to 1600 m.
System
The species was first introduced in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, under the name Phalaena Noctua trapezina in the scientific literature. She was later described under the following names: Phalaena rhomboid Hufnagel, 1766 Calymnia badiofasciata pond, 1883 and Calymnia trapezina var obscura Aurivillius, 1888 These names are junior synonyms of Cosmia trapezina. .
Endangering
The species is very common everywhere and is not endangered as.