Flame Shoulder
Hellrandige Erdeule ( Ochropleura plecta )
Called The Hellrandige Erdeule ( Ochropleura plecta ), also Violet Brown Erdeule, white margined Erdeule or Frischkkräuterhalden - Bodeneule, is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).
Features
The moths have a wingspan of 28-34 millimeters. The basic color of the front upper wing surface is reddish- brown with a broad light brown to whitish brown anterior margin, followed by a black arrow line. However, both strips do not extend to the wing tip. Rarely, the edge strip is darkened. A white kidney blemish and a white ring flaws are in the range of the black arrow stroke or the arrow line starting at about kidney blemish. Both flaws are sometimes cored brown. The hind wings are whitish with a light brown edge.
The hemispherical egg is flattened on the base. It measures 0.5 mm in height and 0.75 to 0.8 mm in diameter wide. First, it is bright lemon yellow after oviposition. In the course of further development forms in the Mikropylregion a pink spot and also a pink napkin on the subapical region of the ice. Shortly before hatching they turn light brown. The surface is on the upper two-thirds with 27 wide longitudinal ribs of the rich the most up to Mikropylregion or end a little earlier. They are crossed by fine, transverse ribs.
The caterpillar is on the back gray-brown to orange-red. On the back run three reddish longitudinal lines. The page has broad, yellowish side stripes. The head is occupied yellowish brown and with white dots. It has a small bump at the 11th segment.
The doll is black brown, some reddish-brown and has two sharp thorns on the cremaster. It is about 13 millimeters long.
Geographical distribution and habitat
The species is widespread in the Palearctic [Note 1] and often almost everywhere. It occurs in almost all of Europe, with the exception of some Mediterranean islands (Balearic Islands, Sicily, the Greek islands ) and the far north of Europe. It flies in the mountains up to about 1600 meters altitude.
It occurs in a plurality of open biotopes, for example, in gardens and parks, ruderal areas, roadsides, embankments and ditches, as well as railway and flood dams on larger glades, along paths and corridors of deciduous and mixed forests and shrubbery rich meadowland.
Way of life
The Hellrandige Erdeule usually forms two partially overlapping generations per year. The moths fly from May to mid July and from July to September. The second generation is often only partial and the moths are slightly larger than the moths of the first generation on average. They are nocturnal and come out on artificial light sources. Visit flowers and can bait. The moths are impetuous aviator whose way of flying is more like the excited wasps, at least on artificial light sources. The eggs are, but stored separately in small groups. In July and then again from August to October you can find the caterpillars of plantains ( Plantago ), Labkräutern ( Galium ), sorrel ( Rumex ), annual bluegrass ( Poa annua), lettuce (Lactuca ), Exceptional ragwort ( Senecio vulgaris), among other things, herbaceous plants eaten. They live very well hidden in the herb layer, and are rarely found. Pupation occurs in the soil, the doll wintered. In the older literature, there is also the statement that occasionally over-winter, the caterpillar. According to Steiner, Steiner & Ebert (1998 ), there is this has not been a solid confirmation.
Taxonomy
The species is divided into two subspecies:
- Ochropleura plecta plecta that Nominatunterart in the largest part of the range
- Ochropleura plecta unimacula, it represents the Nominatunterart in southern Spain and Morocco; it differs from the Nominatunterart by the absence of the ring blemish.
Endangering
The species is not endangered, and very frequently in Germany.