Asphalia ruficollis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)
![Asphalia ruficollis: Male (e.l. Northern Greece 2011) [S]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_m2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Male (e.l. Northern Greece 2011) [S]")
![Asphalia ruficollis: Male (e.l. Northern Greece 2011) [S]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_2m2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Male (e.l. Northern Greece 2011) [S]")
![Asphalia ruficollis: Male (e.l. Northern Greece 2011) [S]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_3m2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Male (e.l. Northern Greece 2011) [S]")
![Asphalia ruficollis: Larva (Northern Greece, Askion, May 2010) [M]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_rpe2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Larva (Northern Greece, Askion, May 2010) [M]")
![Asphalia ruficollis: Larva (Northern Greece, May 2010) [M]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_2rpe2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Larva (Northern Greece, May 2010) [M]")
![Asphalia ruficollis: Larva (Northern Greece, May 2011) [M]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_3rpe2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Larva (Northern Greece, May 2011) [M]")
![Asphalia ruficollis: Larva (e.l. Northern Greece 2010) [M]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_4rpe2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Larva (e.l. Northern Greece 2010) [M]")
![Asphalia ruficollis: Larva (Northern Greece, Pindos, May 2010) [M]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_5rpe2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Larva (Northern Greece, Pindos, May 2010) [M]")
![Asphalia ruficollis: Larva (Northern Greece, May 2010) [M]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_6rpe2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Larva (Northern Greece, May 2010) [M]")
![Asphalia ruficollis: Larval shelter (Northern Greece, May 2010) [N]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_7rpe2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Larval shelter (Northern Greece, May 2010) [N]")
![Asphalia ruficollis: Pupa (e.l. Northern Greece 2010) [S]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_ppe2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Pupa (e.l. Northern Greece 2010) [S]")
![Asphalia ruficollis: Larval habitat in the Askio mountains (Northern Greece, May 2011) [N]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_h2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Larval habitat in the Askio mountains (Northern Greece, May 2011) [N]")
![Asphalia ruficollis: Habitat in the Pindos-Gebirge northwest of Grevena, May 2011) [N]](bilder1/thyrididae/ruficollis_2h2011.jpg "Asphalia ruficollis: Habitat in the Pindos-Gebirge northwest of Grevena, May 2011) [N]")
Host plants:
The caterpillar lives on Quercus. I found them in Northern Greece on Quercus pubescens and related species.
Habitat:
Asphalia ruficollis inhabits clear, warm dry oak forests and oak-lined dry slopes.
Life cycle:
Asphalia ruficollis hibernates in the pupal stage. The moths fly from February to April. The larva can be found from April to early June. I found them in the Greek Askio and Pindos mountains in May 2010 and 2011, quite common among spun leaves.
Remarks:
Asphalia ruficollis is distributed Ponto-Mediterranean and is found in Europe mainly in the Balkan Peninsula. To the west, it apparently reached the extreme southeastern tip of France (where it is rare).
