Flame Brocade
Trigonophora flammea
Trigonophora flammea is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).
- 4.1 Notes and references
- 4.2 Literature
Features
Butterfly
The wingspan of the butterfly is 44 to 52 millimeters. The basic color of the forewings varies in different shades of brown. Sometimes also copies appear with predominantly gray color elements. For the type characteristic is the striking yellow-brown filled kidney blemish that is bent toward the root and approximately shows the form of a broad L. Pin and ring blemish stand out, however, from the black-brown midfield hardly apparent. Dark field protrudes with a distinct peak to the most reddish brown Postdiskalregion. The seam area behind the whitish wavy line is slightly darkened. Near the apex of a whitened field is often visible. The front edge is yellow-brown. The hind wings are colored gray-brown without markings and show a dark center. On the black-brown hairy chest is a reddish-brown hair. The proboscis of the moths is well developed.
Egg, caterpillar, pupa
The yellowish egg has a hemispherical shape with a highly flattened base and is equipped with numerous ribs. The Mikropylzone and the base portion are reddish in color.
Adults caterpillars have a green or reddish brown color. Back, side back and side lines stand out from whitish yellow. On the back of a dark diamond-shaped drawing with white dots can be seen.
The pupa is dark brown in color and has two spines on the cremaster.
Similar Species
The wingspan at Trigonophora crassicornis is 40 to 43 mm, that of Trigonophora jode 38 to 42 millimeters. Both species are thus smaller than Trigonophora flammea, and both are also stained slightly paler.
Distribution and habitat
The nominate flammea flammea Trigonophora is distributed throughout Europe in many parts of the Mediterranean up to the Normandy and Southern England. In addition, the species occurs in the Maghreb, where the subspecies Trigonophora flammea vividior is encountered. This also occurs in parts of Spain. The species is found mainly in dry areas, such as on warm slopes, on bushy lean lawns and in karstic oak forests.
Way of life
Main flight time of the largely nocturnal moths are the months of September to November. Visit artificial light sources and bait. As food plants of the living from March to April crawler different plants are called, for example, Crowfoot (Ranunculus ), cloves Wurzen ( Geum ), daphne ( Daphne ), privet ( Ligustrum ), stone Linden ( phillyrea ), ash (Fraxinus ) and oak species (Quercus ). Pupation takes place in a slight cocoon. Overwintering stage is the egg.