Eulithis prunata
Dark brown hair tufts tensioner ( Eulithis prunata )
The dark brown hair tufts tensioner ( Eulithis prunata ), also known as brown tuft of hair clamp, is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the tensioner ( Geometridae ).
- 6.1 Notes and references
- 6.2 Literature
Features
Butterfly
The moths reach a wingspan of about 28 to 37 millimeters. The ground color of the forewings is dark brown. The midfield is bordered on both sides by gray-white or brown and white cross bands and shows a strong tooth-shaped bulge outward. Several black arrow stains lift contrast from the white wave line. Below the apex is at the upper outer edge of a tall, dark, crescent-shaped spot. On the gray hind wings bright three transverse lines can be seen.
Caterpillar
Young caterpillars have a greenish color, which is changing to brownish later. On the back there are black brown wedge stains.
Doll
The doll is colored white brown, the elytra are brownish. Characteristic features are a dark brown longitudinal line on the front and back and eight hook-like bristles on the cremaster.
Geographical distribution and occurrence
The area of distribution extends from the Iberian Peninsula over western and central Europe, including the British Isles eastwards through the temperate zone to East Asia. In the north the species occurs beyond the Arctic Circle, to the south over Italy, the Balkans and the Armenian Highland to Kyrgyzstan. The dark brown tuft of hair clamp is preferred to be found in vegetable gardens, orchards and shrubbery rich forest edges.
Way of life
The moths are crepuscular and nocturnal and fly univoltine in the months of June to September. Sometimes they can be found sucking on the flowers of butterfly bush ( Buddleja davidii ) or Field Scabious ( Knautia arvensis), at night they also visit bait and artificial light sources. In their typical resting position, the moths remain with landscaped back sensors and hochgekrümmtem abdomen end. Among the food plants of the caterpillars include gooseberry (Ribes uva- crispa ), currant species ( Ribes ) and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and hawthorn species ( Crataegus ). They live from May to July. The egg overwinters.
Endangering
The dark brown hair tufts clamper is in all German federal states and is run on the Red List of Threatened Species as not at risk.
Subspecies
The following sub- types with their main distribution areas are known:
- Eulithis prunata prunata ( Europe)
- Eulithis prunata leucoptera ( Kamchatka, the Amur region, Sakhalin, Korea, Japan)
- Eulithis prunata teberdensis ( Caucasus, Georgia, Armenia)