Synanthedon spheciformis
Alder Clearwing ( Synanthedon spheciformis )
The alder Clearwing ( Synanthedon spheciformis ) is a butterfly of the family of the Clearwing ( Sesiidae ).
- 6.1 Notes and references
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 22-30 millimeters. Particularly striking are the yellow-white sensor tips. The wings are transparent, their wing veins, the center spot and the edges are black. The abdomen is dark scaly with a yellow ring on the second segment. The After tufts of blue-black color. The eggs are flat, oval and dark brown. The caterpillars are walzig, flattened on both sides, yellow white with reddish brown head. The doll is bright yellow.
Similar Species
The most striking distinction from the very similar Great Birch Clearwing ( Synanthedon scoliaeformis ) is a blue-black after tuft, which is orange yellow in scoliaeformis.
Occurrence
The species is distributed almost everywhere in Europe, including Germany. In the mountains it is found up to an altitude of 1500 meters. The distribution also extends to the following countries and regions: the north of Scotland to the Arctic Circle, in the east to Siberia, south of North Portugal, Spain and Northern Italy to parts of the Balkans and in the west to the south of France. The animals are preferably in marshes, meandering streams and rich alder groves in moist areas before.
Way of life
The species requires young stands of alder or silver birch and colonized new stocks quickly. If the trees are too old, the type disappears. The diurnal moths are inconspicuous and suck like other flowers. The caterpillars burrow after hatching from the egg first in root rashes young trees, the summer live through the sapwood under the bark and burrow deeper in the autumn in the rootstock to winter there for the first time. The following spring they penetrate through a burrow deeper into the wood. The adult caterpillar lays before the second winter in a transition to the future loophole. There they pupate without cocoon. The males are looking for After hatching, immediately after the females emit pheromones. The male moths flying also like to pheromone preparations. Sometimes hundreds, even thousands of such baits are attracted. In derartigem mass occurrence, the type also be harmful in alder or birch stands.
Flight times and caterpillars
The moths fly from late May to late June, the caterpillars are found from July to May of the next year. that is, they overwinter twice.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed on the roots, bark and wood of the following trees:
- Black alder ( Alnus glutinosa)
- Silver birch (Betula pendula)
- Downy birch (Betula pubescens)
- Green alder ( Alnus viridis)
- Gray alder ( Alnus incana )
Synonyms
- Sesia spheciformis
- Sesia sphegiformis
- Trochilium spheciformis
- Conopia spheciformis