Details zur Präimaginalentwicklung von Aglia tau (Linnaeus, 1758) im Freiland werden dargestellt. Die Eiablage kann von der niedrigen Strauchschicht bis in die Kronen erfolgen. Dementsprechend findet die Raupenentwicklung in allen Waldschichten statt. Die Raupe frißt auf allen möglichen Laubbäumen. Ihre scheinbare Bindung an die Buche in Mitteleuropa ist nur eine postglaziale zufällige Übereinstimmung in ökologischen Präferenzen. Aglia tau dürfte auch heute noch über die südliche boreale Taiga ein geschlossenes Verbreitungsgebiet vom Atlantik bis zum Pazifik haben. Die Imagines sind strikt getrennt in ihrer Flugaktivität. Nur durch externe Störungen, insbesondere menschliche Einflüsse, kommt es dabei gelegentlich zu Ausreißern.
The live history of Aglia tau (Linnaeus, 1758) is discussed. Ova are deposited in all forest strata, from youngest trees and the bark of lower parts of old trees to twigs in the canopy. Larval development, therefore, can also take place in all strata. Larval foodplants are deciduous trees; a few additions to the broad food spectrum from observations of larvae on Ulmus (Ulmaceae) are provided. The larva is not at all dependent on Fagus (Fagaceae); in contrast, most of the distribution area of Aglia tau is far outside the range of Fagus trees. Even in the southern parts of the boreal taiga (for example, in Finland up to the 64th degree of northern latitude) Aglia tau is able to maintain stable populations. Therefore we think, that the species still has a more or less continuous distribution range from the Pyrenees to the Pacific coast in East Asia, in spite of the fact that the zone of deciduous trees is interrupted in Central Asia. Thus the Central European combination of Aglia tau and Fagus forests is no more than a non-essential postglacial coincidence caused by similar ecological abilities of both species. Under optimal conditions, the larvae have only 3 larval moults, i.e., four larval instars. However, when the conditions become suboptimal, there is a strong tendency towards an additional instar. Imaginal activity is sexually dimorphic. Under natural conditions, males fly during daytime only, when females excrete their pheromones and mating takes place. The females deposit their ova during the night. The presence of males at artificial lights is caused only by the short-wavelength light of modern collecting equipment and other anthropogenous effects. No natural flight of
and no pairings do occur at night.Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Saturniidae, Agliinae, Aglia tau, Polygonia c-album, larval development, behaviour, forest stratum, diurnal flight pattern.
