Laothoe amurensis
Preparation of Laothoe amurensis
Laothoe amurensis is ( Sphingidae ), a butterfly (moth ) from the family of enthusiasts. Laothoe sinica, which occurs in central China, is regarded by some authors as a subspecies of Laothoe amurensis, however, seems to be a separate, closely related species.
- 6.1 Notes and references
- 6.2 Literature
Features
The moths reach a wingspan from 75 to 95 millimeters. The type looks the Nominatunterart of poplar hawkmoth ( Laothoe populi ) are very similar, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by the absence of the rust-red spot on the hind wing base. Laothoe amurensis has there in some individuals to a maximum of a brown tint. The base color of the body is variable as well as in the similar nature and ranges from yellow brown to pink to various shades of gray. The forma baltica is dark gray in color and short stature. The sacculus of the male genitalia is much wider than the poplar hawkmoth and has two very wide extensions. The aedeagus is bedornt several times almost the entire edge, the thorns on one side are small. The uncus is shorter than in the similar manner, the Gnathos is at hand, evenly convex, its sides are straight and the tip is blunt.
The eggs are 2.3 times 2.0 times 1.9 millimeters in size is relatively large. They are shiny green colored yellow and flattened dorsoventrally. The caterpillars are 65 to 80 millimeters long and are slightly larger than that of the poplar hawkmoth. They appear in a blue- green and a dark green color variant. Shortly after hatching, they are colored pale green, after the start of food intake is their pattern slightly yellowish. In the second stage of their coloring is already fully trained. Your body is then blue-green or occasionally dark green with white, sloping verges on the first to eighth abdominal segment. The body is covered with numerous fine white tubercles. The caterpillars of the poplar hawkmoth see where very similar, but have larger stigmata and have a pair of enlarged tubercles on the back of the second thoracic segment on. These tubercles are increasingly noticeable with the progress of development. The spiracles are white and brown edged, the short Analhorn is dotted blue and white side. As with the similar nature the caterpillar turned light purple color before pupation. The doll is 30-43 millimeters long. It is almost identical with that of the poplar hawkmoth in their appearance and coloration. Only the cremaster is constructed in two stages.
Occurrence
The type is from the south of Finland, the eastern part of Poland, Belarus and the Baltic states are spread throughout the European part of Russia and northern Kazakhstan to the West Siberia and the Altai Russia and China. The species is further on in Southern and Eastern Siberia, the Tuvan People's Republic, Buryatia, of Outer Manchuria, Ussuri, Sakhalin, Northern Mongolia, Northeast China, and Japan. Evidence from China southwest of Jilin refer to Laothoe sinica, at the evidence from Korea could be partly, also be this kind of Nominatunterart Laothoe amurensis, however, was detected there as well. The species is relatively rare in northern Europe and is not shown again and again over time. However, regular new detection locations are discovered by increased catches light in hard to reach areas.
The animals colonize areas in forests and clear waters with abundant vegetation shore of aspen (Populus tremula ). Only very rarely do you find them outside of these habitats.
Way of life
The life of Laothoe amurensis resembles that of the poplar hawkmoth very. The adults rarely fly before midnight. You can often find the moths when flying back and forth watching over still waters, where they are immersed repeatedly into the water to drink.
Flight times and caterpillars
The moths fly depending on the location in a generation between late May and early July, the flight is maximum in the first ten days of June. In the southern Urals type flies from mid-June to early July. By artificial rearing under warm temperature conditions, a second partial to complete second generation is formed, which suggests that this is possible under natural conditions. The caterpillars can be found between late June and early August. In Siberia, the caterpillars occasionally appear in masses.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed mainly on aspen (Populus tremula ) and Populus lancifolia, more rarely, other poplars (Populus ) and willow ( Salix) eaten.
Development
The females lay less than 100 eggs individually onto the underside of leaves or on the petiole of the food plants. After 10 to 12 days, the larvae hatch. Immediately after hatching, the larvae begin feeding on the mature leaves of the food plants. These are first skeletonized, completely eaten with increasing growth up to the midrib. As the caterpillars of the poplar hawkmoth are the caterpillars of Laothoe amurensis during feeding wasteful and leave big leaf parts fall to the ground. The caterpillars are initially active at night and rest during the day sprawled on the underside of leaves. From the second stage, the caterpillar rests in the typical for many types sphinx moth position with erect front body. They hold on with only the last two or three abdominal pairs of legs on the leaf. Full-grown caterpillars tend individually on the petiole up to rest up in mature trees, where they are well camouflaged by their color. At poplars most caterpillars live through only four stages, although some, like those who feed on pastures, molt before pupation one more time. After 40 to 50 days, the caterpillars are fully grown. Pupation takes place finally after about four days after burial in the ground, in a two to three inches deep uncoated chamber at the base of a tree or a grass tuft. The pupa overwinters. The moths emerge in the next year, the same population all within a span of five to seven days and then live only six to ten days. This leads to the conclusion that the moths are adapted to living in the boreal zone with short, warm summers and long, cold winters.
Specialized enemies
At Laothoe amurensis the two parasitic wasps species Netelia testacea and Netelia vinulae were detected as parasitoids.