Limenitis reducta
Southern White Admiral ( Limenitis reducta )
The Blue-black Kingfisher ( Limenitis reducta ) is a butterfly ( butterfly ) of the family Nymphalidae ( Nymphalidae ).
- 3.1 Flight times and caterpillars
- 3.2 food of the caterpillars
- 6.1 Notes and references
- 6.2 Literature
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 45 to 50 millimeters. The general coloring of the upper wing is black, in contrast to the very similar small kingfisher ( Limenitis camilla ) but you can see a blue shimmer. The wings also have a broad bandage of white spots that form around an open forward semicircle over the two pairs of wings with open wings. On the fore wings, the binding consists only of a few white spots, which are designed to be somewhat weaker than in similar style. A white spot located slightly off between basal and Diskalregion, near the wing leading edge, and along the outer edge of both wings is a chain of small blue spots. These two features distinguish the type of the Little Kingfisher. The wing undersides have a rust-brown color. The Basalfeld of the hind wings is colored white extended, is in the middle of the wing a broad white band, which includes a narrow rusty-brown stripes between itself and the Basalfeld. At the inner edge of this runs too narrow since touching the two white areas here. Between Postdiskal and Submarginalregion only a series of dark points is parallel to the outer edge. The underside of the forward wing carries along the front edge of the three white spots, the mean is much greater than the other two. The body of the butterfly is on the bottom white, dark color on the top.
The caterpillars are about 27 mm long. You are on top of light green to dull green, reddish-brown to gray- purple on the bottom. Separately, the color ranges by the side of the body extending white line. On the back there are numerous, paired thorns. They are brown in color and vary in size.
Similar Species
- White Admiral ( Limenitis camilla )
- Black mourning butterfly ( Neptis rivularis )
Synonyms
- Limenitis innominate Lewis, 1872
Occurrence
The animals arrive in South and Central Europe, Turkey, the Middle East before to the West of Iran and the Caucasus. There is also an occurrence in Brittany and Normandy. You are missing north of southern Germany, the Balearic Islands, Crete and on the Iberian peninsula, except in the north. Coming from sea level prior to a height of about 1,650 meters. The species is common from the northern Mediterranean region to the Southern Alps, in Germany it is rare. The moths live in temperature- favored, sunny woodland edges and clearings and rocky and grassy areas with shrub vegetation.
Way of life
Flight times and caterpillars
The moth flies in the northern part of its range in one generation from mid-June to early August. In the Mediterranean, two generations are formed, flying from mid-May to June and from mid-July to August.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on various rear cherry species ( Lonicera ), such as from Red Honeysuckle ( Lonicera xylosteum ), honeysuckle ( Lonicera caprifolium ). , Waldgeißblatt ( Lonicera periclymenum ), Lonicera etrusca, tangled honeysuckle ( Lonicera implexa ) Alpine Honeysuckle ( Lonicera alpigena ) and Lonicera nummulariifolia.
Development
The females lay their spherical and spiny eggs individually onto the leaf surfaces of the caterpillar food plants. The caterpillars have nearly the same lifestyle as that of the little kingfisher and are particularly difficult to distinguish from each other in the early stages. However, the blue of the kingfisher blacks live instead of shaded plants, always on warm, sunny locations. The caterpillars feed initially from the blade tip on either side of the midrib and sit in feeding breaks on this. The rib is even extended by feces. At the end of the summer, the young caterpillar builds from a sheet and a bag of silk, called Hibernarium in which takes place the winter. The solid gray color Stürzpuppe carries on the back and one on the head side two other characteristic stub -like extensions, but it lacks the metallic stains, worn by the doll of the Little Kingfisher.
Threats and conservation
The Blue-black Kingfisher is in Germany on the Red List and is listed as endangered ( category 2).