True Lover's Knot
Small Heidekrauteule ( Lycophotia porphyrea )
The Small Heidekrauteule ( Lycophotia porphyrea ), also called porphyry Owl, is a butterfly (moth ) from the family of cutworms ( Noctuidae ).
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
Butterfly
With a wingspan 24-34 millimeters count the animals to the smaller cutworm species. The front wings are usually reddish-brown, but can also purple ( porphyry ) shimmer and light brown or dark brown. Inner and outer transverse line stand out in white color clearly from the background. The also white wave line is formed mostly weaker. The pattern of white drawing elements appear occasionally in node forms, which is why the species is referred to as " True Lover's Knot" in English. Punctiform show the white ring blemish, while the bright renal blemish inside are created dark. The hem contains a dense row of white or black points between which some dark lines are visible. The hind wings are colored gray without markings.
Egg, caterpillar and chrysalis
The egg is white in color, has a hemispherical shape with a flattened base and is heavily ribbed. Full-grown caterpillars are colored in different shades of brown. They are particularly characterized by the discontinuous at the segment cuts wide, yellow white and dark enclosed back and side back lines. Chance extend these lines also continuous. The squat doll is schwarzrotbraun with a very small cremaster, two short curved bristles on the.
Similar Species
Due to the distinctive drawing butterflies and caterpillars are unmistakable.
Geographical distribution and habitat
The species is distributed in a broad band through North, Central and Eastern Europe to Russia ( to the Urals ). In the south the dissemination border runs through northern Spain and northern Portugal, northern Italy, Macedonia, Bulgaria and northern Greece. In the mountains it is still to be found at altitudes of over 2000 meters. The Small Heidekrauteule preferably inhabits warm heaths, moors, sunny slopes and forest edges, often on sandy soil.
Way of life
Main flight time in a generation in flying, largely nocturnal moths are the months of June to August. They like to come to artificial light sources, rarely also on the bait. Occasionally they have also to be found on the day of flowers, such as those of arnica (Arnica montana). The caterpillars live in September, overwinter and pupate in May of the following year. They feed on the merits of heather ( Calluna vulgaris ) and other types of heather (Erica ). In the spring they live during the day and feed at night hidden. They pupate in the soil or between plant parts in a slight cocoon.
Endangering
The Small Heidekrauteule comes in Germany in most provinces, sometimes up frequently and is run on the Red List of Threatened Species as not at risk.