Agrotis trux (Hübner, 1824)

Host plants:
The polyphagous caterpillar lives on roots and ground-level plant parts.

Habitat:
The caterpillar inhabits dry-warm places that are only overgrown gappily. I found them in the Valais at open ground spots in a vineyard embankment and in the Canaries on rocky slopes. Important are fine substrate-rich spots.

Life cycle:
The caterpillar overwinters and is mature in April. In the Canary Islands, it is partly fully-grown already in January. They are digged in the soil superficially at daytime. The prepupae rest for several weeks. The moths fly from June to August.

Remarks:
Agrotis trux occurs from the Canary Islands across north Africa and Southern Europe to Asia. To the north, it is found to the Southern Alps and the Valais. Along the Atlantic coast it penetrates to the south of England.