Adscita dujardini Evetov & Tarmann 2014

Host plants:
The larvae feed in the field on Geranium sanguineum. In breeding, they also accept other Geranium species and even Helianthemum and Rumex.

Habitat:
Adscita dujardini inhabits rocky steppe slopes, dry grassland edges and other warm and dry herbaceous edges, usually interspersed with trees and bushes or near woodlands.

Life cycle:
The hibernated caterpillars are fully-grown in May. On the 01. and 02. May 2007 and in mid-April 2009 I observed caterpillars in last instar hidden at Geranium sanguineum in the edge to flat junipers on a grove rich, dry hillside in about 1300m above sea level (Valais).

Endangerment factors:
Adscita dujardini is locally endangered by tourism, agriculture and other habitat loss (overgrazing, overbuilding, reforestation, viticulture etc.).

Remarks:
Adscita dujardini is a very local species and is found in Swiss Valais, Swiss Poschiavo, parts of the French Alps, Italy and Slovenia. The taxon albanica is found in the S-Balkans, Ukraine and S-Russia.

Hints on determination:
The newly described species is very similar to A. albanica (Naufock, 1926). Both used to be referred to as A. albanica before 2014, but obviously differ in larval colouration and smaller details in morphology (e.g. genitals). They also show relative large genetic distances.

Literature:
Efetov & Tarmann (2014): A new European species, Adscita dujardini sp. nov.
(Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae, Procridinae), confirmed by DNA analysis.- Entomologist’s Gazette 65: 179–200