Lobster Moth
Book - tooth Spinner ( Stauropus fagi ) ♂
The Book - tooth Spinner ( Stauropus fagi ) is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of the tooth Spinner ( Notodontidae ).
- 3.1 Flight times and caterpillars
- 3.2 food of the caterpillars
- 6.1 Notes and references
- 6.2 Literature
Features
Butterfly
The moths have a wingspan from 45 to 64 millimeters, with an average forewing length of 27 millimeters. The forewings are gray to gray-brown, the wing root has a slightly lighter color. On the front wings extend two bright, jagged transverse bands, which are often only vaguely recognizable. Between these bind the middle of the wings is usually darker. The hind wings are colored the same as the front wing on the front half to the back half of them are plain gray-brown.
Crawler
The caterpillars are up to 60 millimeters long and have a very unique appearance. They are initially dark brown in color and have a slender, elongated body, and later they are red - or gray-brown and have a plump figure. The second and third pair of calf A Torah is greatly extended and the last three abdominal segments are connected to a large club-shaped segment having instead of a Nachschiebers two curved, bulb -like appendages.
Occurrence
The Book - tooth Spinner is spread from the north of the Iberian Peninsula across Europe, east and Russia to the Far East and Japan. The distribution includes the south across southern Europe and the Alborz Mountains, north of the spreading border runs through the south Fennoscandian. The type is lacking in Europe on the southern Iberian Peninsula, in northern Scandinavia and north of the British Isles. The species inhabited the plains riparian forests and mixed deciduous forests in the hilly and mountainous areas of mixed deciduous forests and above all beech forests. Parks and gardens, as well as fruit trees are inhabited, especially in urban areas. The species is absent in the higher mountains, it occurs for example in the low mountain ranges only up to the upper montane stage in about 1000 meters above sea level on.
Way of life
The nocturnal animals fold their wings at rest like roof tiles and slide the rear wing as far under the front wing, that that part of it as the top of the front wings is colored the same, projecting beyond the front edge of the forewing. Thus, only the gray-brown area of the hind wings is hidden by the forewings.
Flight times and caterpillars
The moths fly in one generation from mid- April to late May and early June to August. In these two flight maxima are not two generations, but two separately occurring strains of a generation. Depending on the region, the flight times are quite different, so that the two strains are more overlapping more or less part. In good conditions and in warm regions of a true, partial second generation in August occurs. The caterpillars are found from late July to late October.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on the leaves of various deciduous trees and shrubs. They include beech ( Fagus sylvatica), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus ), common hazel (Corylus avellana ), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), silver birch (Betula pendula), field maple (Acer campestre ), red oak (Quercus rubra), hawthorn ( Crataegus ), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), blood Red Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea ) and cultivated apple (Malus domestica).
Development
The older caterpillars show at fault an imposing defensive behavior. They bend their abdomen thickened end over the back to the front, lift the front body up and stretch their extended leg pairs from far. Young caterpillars have a certain similarity with large ants and move their body appendage at fault trilling. Pupation takes place in a dense cocoon between leaves on the ground. The doll is shiny maroon and hibernates.
Threats and conservation
The Book - tooth Spinner is widespread and occurs everywhere frequently and is therefore not at risk.