Apamea zeta (Treitschke, 1825)

Host plants:
The larvae feed on grasses, mostly tufty species. I recorded it on Deschampsia caespitosa (Silvretta, W-Austria), but also on other grasses.

Habitat:
Apamea zeta usually inhabits rocky slopes or other rocky or stony habitats which are interspersed with grassland fragments (1500-3000m, sometimes as low as 1200m).

Life cycle:
The larvae usually hibernate twice. They are already fully-grown prior to the second hibernation. Thus they are able to pupate early in the season. They live in a shelter at the base of the grass tufts. The moths occur between mid-June and late August.

Remarks:
Apamea zeta occurs in the Alps and some higher mountain ranges of S- and SE-Europe (e.g. Pyrenees, Balkans). Taxa from Greenland, northern Europe and eastern regions are today regarded as distinct species.