Hamearis lucina
Cowslip cube butterfly ( Hamearis lucina )
The cowslip cube butterfly ( Hamearis lucina ) is a butterfly ( butterfly ) from the family of cubes butterfly ( Riodinidae ). Whether the dice moths are to be performed as a subfamily of Lycaenidae, or as a separate family, is still unclear.
- 6.1 Notes and references
- 6.2 Literature
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 28-34 millimeters. They have a dark brown or blackish brown color with small red-brown spots arranged in transverse lines. These are on the fore wings are always well trained, while they are sometimes almost displaced on the hind wings of the brown color. The undersides of the wings are cinnamon brown. The front bottom has spots as the top, the rear bottom side has white basal and Postdiskalflecke.
The caterpillars are about 15 mm long. They are very hairy and have a short, cylindrical body. They are yellowish light brown with a purple or gray-brown, black -brown-spotted back line, which is lined on both sides by a series of small dark spots. The head is yellowish brown and partially withdrawn into the caterpillar body.
Dissemination
The distribution area extends from central Spain to central Russia. In the North of the South of England over France, Benelux, south of Friesland Poland, Belarus and the Baltic States. In the south, the area of distribution extends over Italy without the islands and with the exception of the South, but with Sicily and the Balkans to the Black Sea. You are in South and Central Europe in places frequently, in many areas, but declined sharply. In Greece, the species occurs only locally and is absent in the Rhodope Mountains. It also lacks in Northern Germany. The moths live in light deciduous forests and bushy grounds, on the edge of bogs from the coast up to altitudes of 1600 meters.
Way of life
Flight time
The moth flies north of the Alps from April to mid-June in a generation, south of the Alps, he flies in two generations of March to May and August to September.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of primroses, especially those of the Real cowslip (Primula veris ). As more food plants are:
- High (Primula elatior )
- Stemless cowslip (Primula vulgaris)
Development
The females lay their eggs singly or in small groups at the bottom of the food plant leaves. They are small and grayish and almost perfectly round. The caterpillars hatch after about 14 days; are nocturnal and hide at the base of their food plants. At the end of their development, they pupate in a whitish to pale brown belt doll on the floor or the underside of leaves of the host plants. The animals hibernate as a pupa. Only occasionally they hatch in the fall. In Southern Europe, however, it occurs regularly to a second generation in the same year, with the exception of very hot areas where the forage crops wither in the summer.
Threats and conservation
- Red List BRD: 3 (endangered ).