Acosmetia caliginosa (Hübner, [1813])


Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing, E-Austria, Burgenland, Rohrbach, larva in  early June, adult in early July 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing, E-Austria, Burgenland, Rohrbach, larva in early June, adult in early July 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing E-Austria, Burgenland, Rohrbach, larva in early June 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing E-Austria, Burgenland, Rohrbach, larva in early June 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing E-Austria, Burgenland, Rohrbach, larva in early June 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing E-Austria, Burgenland, Rohrbach, larva in early June 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing, Hungary, Dabas, larva in late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing, Hungary, Dabas, larva in late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing, Hungary, Dabas, larva in late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing, Hungary, Dabas, larva in late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing, Hungary, Dabas, larva in late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing, Hungary, Dabas, larva in late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing, Hungary, Dabas, larva in late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Adult (e.l. rearing, Hungary, Dabas, larva in late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Half-grown larva (Hungary, Dabas, late August 2019) [M] Acosmetia caliginosa: Half-grown larva (Hungary, Dabas, late August 2019) [M] Acosmetia caliginosa: Half-grown larva (Hungary, Dabas, late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Half-grown larva (Hungary, Dabas, late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Half-grown larva (Hungary, Dabas, late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Half-grown larva (Hungary, Dabas, late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (E-Austria, Burgenland, Rohrbach, early June 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larva (E-Austria, Burgenland, Rohrbach, early June 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Hungary, Dabas, larva in late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Hungary, Dabas, larva in late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Hungary, Dabas, larva in late August 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Pupa (e.l. rearing E-Austria, Burgenland, Rohrbach, larva in early June 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Pupa (e.l. rearing E-Austria, Burgenland, Rohrbach, larva in early June 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Pupa (e.l. rearing E-Austria, Burgenland, Rohrbach, larva in early June 2019) [S] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larval habitat (E-Austria, Burgenland, Rohrbach, early June 2019) [N] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larval habitat (Hungary, Dabas, late August 2019) [N] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larval habitat (Hungary, Dabas, late August 2019) [N] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larval habitat (Hungary, Dabas, late August 2019) [N] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larval habitat (Hungary, Dabas, late August 2019) [N] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larval habitat (Hungary, Dabas, late August 2019) [N] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larval habitat (Hungary, Dabas, late August 2019) [N] Acosmetia caliginosa: Larval habitat (Hungary, Dabas, September 2019) [N]

Host plants:
The larva feeds on Serratula tinctoria (Asteraceae).

Habitat:
Acosmetia caliginosa inhabits nutrient-poor grasslands, especially seasonally wet Molinia grassland, not too dry and extensively managed (only one mowing per year) meadows and pastures, wetlands and similar sites with the host plant. In Hungary (Dabas) fallow stripes has been essential for the larvae of the second generation. These stripes have been left standing at the mowing in early August.

Life cycle:
The moths occur in one or - more often - two overlapping generations (according to region and year) from May to August. The larvae develop from late May to September. I recorded them quite numerously in late August (half-grown) and September (fully-grown) 2019 in Hungary (Dabas) and singly in early June in E-Austria. The pupa hibernates.

Endangerment factors:
Acosmetia caliginosa is already extinct in most regions of central Europe due to loss of habitat (intensification of grassland management, transfer into arable land, dewatering, eutrophication).

Remarks:
Acosmetia caliginosa occurs very locally from N-Spain and S-Engalnd to Central Europe. But is already distinct there in many regions. Acosmetia caliginosa is still more common in E- and SE-Europe, especially from Hungary and Romania across the Ukraine to S-Russia. Acosmetia caliginosa is also known from the Caucasus region and further to W-Turkestan and the Altai mountains.


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