Idaea mustelata
Idaea mustelata
The idaea mustelata is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the tensioner ( Geometridae ).
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 12 to 16, rarely up to 18 millimeters. The forewings are relatively slim. The ground color varies from whitish -brown to whitish. Runs on the forewing between inner and outer transverse line from the front to the back edge of a broad, brown to gray area ( corresponding approximately to the middle ) down with wavy or jagged boundary and partly stronger bulges toward the outer edge. The distal and proximal limit of the zone does not extend or only partially in parallel. This zone is the anal margin narrow down and usually not reached this, but ends in a peg- like extension. The front edge is darkened dark brown towards the base usually, sometimes the entire inner root field and the front half of the outer root field is colored dark brown. This dark brown zone missing on the hind wings; it is only indicated by shades of gray.
The wavy line is flanked on both sides of the line on rear and front wings of gray shadows. On the front wings and partly also on the hind wings, the outer boundary is often indistinct. In some specimens the hem line is marked by black Saumflecke that be elongated in the direction of the seam line and may possibly be linked by gray shadows. The black-colored Diskalflecke are always clearly marked and usually ausgelängt towards Vorder-/Analrand.
On the hind legs no spurs are usually developed, but with each copy of such spurs were detected.
Similar Species
Idaea mustelata is the Southern Dwarf tensioner ( idaea rusticata ( Denis & Schiffer Müller, 1763) ) are very similar. Nevertheless, the possibility of confusion is low, as to exclude the distribution areas. However, the distribution areas in the French region of Languedoc -Roussillon very close. Only here is an overlap in the distribution areas of the two species is possible. When Southern dwarf tensioner ( idaea rusticata ) reached the midfield in considerable width of the inner edge of the forewing. In idaea mustelata other hand, is the dark brown midfield anal margin of forewing very narrow rapidly and forms just before the edge of a stud, that ends before the anal margin. In idaea mustelata the front wing is slightly narrower.
Idaea mustelata is found only in the Iberian Peninsula, exceptions are the northernmost part of Portugal and the northern Spanish coastal zone. In Navarre the Art 2006 was detected. Their occurrence extends over Catalonia, the eastern Pyrenees to the French region of Languedoc -Roussillon. In North Africa, the species is widespread in Morocco, especially in the higher elevations. From there, the occurrence extends to western Algeria.
The species is xerothermophil, ie it is limited to dry warm locations. It usually occurs between 1000 and 2000 meters altitude. However, it is not infrequently found in the northern part of its range to sea level. In Morocco, the species is, however, at altitudes of 1700-2200 meters, often at lower altitudes it is less often, at sea level, it is hardly encountered.
Phenology and life
Idaea mustelata is univoltine, meaning it only one generation per year will be created. The moths fly from early July to early August. Only in the southern part of the range it is bivoltin in the deeper layers. Here the moths can be found from April to October. They are attracted by artificial light sources. On the development of preimaginal stages is so far not known.
System
The species was described by Carl von Gumppenberg 1892 as Dosithea mustelata first nomenclaturally valid. The name has been in use by Jules Pierre Rambur 1866, which, however, did not use it in binomial form; he is therefore invalid under the IRZN and the first description was valid until 1892 by Carl von Gumppenberg. Later it was mostly only as a subspecies of the Southern Dwarf tensioner ( idaea rusticata ) viewed until Axel Hausmann 2004, the independence of this kind reestablished.