Watsonalla cultraria
Book - Sichelflügler ( Watsonalla cultraria )
The Book - Sichelflügler ( Watsonalla cultraria ) is a butterfly of the family of Sichelflügler ( Drepanidae ).
- 3.1 Flight times and caterpillars
- 3.2 food of the caterpillars
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 20-28 millimeters. The front wings and the hind wings are yellow-brown. In the middle of the forewing a broad darker transverse band is visible, which is continued on the hind wings. This is occasionally a dark spot visible. The sickles are weak. Due to their short proboscis they can absorb drops of dew and tree and fruit juices sitting.
The caterpillars are brown and have a bright spot on the back. Your abdomen end is drawn out into a thin Spitz.
Similar Species
- Oak Sichelflügler ( Watsonalla binaria )
Occurrence
They are found in Central and Southeast Europe, in the north to central England, Denmark, southern Sweden and the Baltic States. They live in beech forests in calcareous hilly areas as well as in mixed deciduous forests with beech units. They fly from early May to early June and from July to August.
Way of life
The animals are nocturnal, the males can be found but also a day where they sit on high branches. They live in two generations per year. They can be easily lure at night by light. The caterpillars feed on low branches and leave typical Frasspuren where they do not eat the stronger veining.
Flight times and caterpillars
The moths fly in two generations from late April to early June and from early July to August. The caterpillars from the eggs of the first generation can be found in September, the second from June to July of the following year. In climatically unfavorable areas developed only a generation of much smaller moths, which then fly from late May to the end of June each year.
Food of the caterpillars
The monophagous caterpillars eat only leaves of beech ( Fagus sylvatica).
Development
The caterpillars pupate together between spun leaves in a yellowish cocoon and hibernate so on the ground in the diffusion layer as a doll.