Euxoa recussa
Mountain steppe Erdeule ( Euxoa ( Euxoa ) recussa )
The mountain steppe Erdeule ( Euxoa recussa ) is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).
- 6.1 Notes and references
- 6.2 Literature
Features
The wingspan of the butterfly is 31 to 40 millimeters, but the average size is slightly different in the two subspecies. The coloration of the fore wings varied in different shades of brown from light brown to red or dark brown, the drawing would be hardly changed. The outer transverse line is filled twice and bright. Ring and kidney blemish are highlighted in light brown and clear. The Diskoidalzelle between is filled in deep black. Very striking are the also deep black Zapf blemish. The hem line is simple and gray. The hind wings are in the ssp. recussa without markings gray-brown, with the ssp. tetrastigmata is the Saumfeld slightly darker.
The egg is smooth, spherical and sulfur yellow. As the caterpillars live mostly on or in the ground, they do not need colorful or high-contrast drawing. They have a gray-brown color and are difficult to distinguish from other Erdeulen species. The doll is yellow-brown with two fine tips on cremaster.
Similar Species
Because of the striking and distinctive forewing drawing the likelihood of confusion with other species is relatively low. The similarity exists with certain forms of wheat Owl species complex ( Euxoa nigrofusca and Euxoa eruta ) and Euxoa aquilina, but have narrower forewing, the latter also key spots in Saumfeld, which are absent in recussa. Euxoa aquilina is also drawn more sharply.
Geographical distribution and habitat
The nominate Euxoa recussa recussa occurs mainly in mountainous areas of southern Europe and the Alps and their foothills area and some Central Mountains ( Swabian Alb, Franconian Alb, Thuringia ), while Euxoa recussa tetrastigma Zetterstedt, 1840, has its main distribution in Northern Europe. Both subspecies seem to have been isolated as a result of the last ice age, so that the two could form separate populations. To the east is the mountain steppe Erdeule also in southern Russia, northern Turkey, West Siberia, the Altai, Alatau, Issyk -Kul ( Kyrgyzstan ), Alexander Mountains ( Tian Shan), Ili region and represented in the Amur region. It prefers warm rocky slopes, forest edges, grass, steppe and juniper heaths. In Baden- Württemberg, she lives only in the higher elevations of the Swabian Alb (about 600 to 1000 m).
Way of life
The mountain steppe Erdeule is one generation per year, the moths fly between July and August. The moths are mostly nocturnal, but are occasionally observed also sucking on the day of flower. They come to artificial light sources and visit the bait. The caterpillars live mainly in the soil and feed mainly on the roots of various herbaceous plants and grasses. They overwinter and pupate in May of the following year.
Endangering
The species occurs in Germany only in Bavaria, Baden- Württemberg and Thuringia before, there is usually rare and therefore on the Red List of endangered species in category 3 ( endangered) classified.
System
The species was divided by Fibiger (1990 ) into two subspecies:
- Euxoa ( Euxoa ) recussa recussa that Nominatunterart, Alps, foothills, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, southern France, Pyrenees, slightly larger ( wingspan 32-40 mm), basic color usually somewhat brighter
- Euxoa ( Euxoa ) recussa tetrastigma ( Zetterstedt, 1840), Crimea (Ukraine ), Russia, Baltic States, Fennoscandia ( with the exception of the North), on average, slightly smaller ( wingspan 31-38 mm), ground color of the forewing slightly darker, hind wings with a dark Saumfeld