Aspitates ochrearia (Rossi, 1794)


Aspitates ochrearia: Male (Samos, May 2009) [M] Aspitates ochrearia: Male (Samos, May 2009) [M] Aspitates ochrearia: Male (Askio mountains, Livera, May 2011) [N] Aspitates ochrearia: Male (Rhodes, Attaviros, late September 2013) [N] Aspitates ochrearia: Male (Rhodes, Attaviros, late September 2013) [S] Aspitates ochrearia: Adult (Rhodes, Attaviros, late September 2013) [S] Aspitates ochrearia: Male (Abruzzes, L'Aquila, mid-May 2013) [N] Aspitates ochrearia: Male (Abruzzes, L'Aquila, mid-May 2013) [N] Aspitates ochrearia: Female (Provence, Rians, late May 2013) [N] Aspitates ochrearia: Female (Rhodes, Attaviros, late September 2013) [N] Aspitates ochrearia: Young larva (e.o. Rhodes 2013) [S] Aspitates ochrearia: Half-grown larva (e.o. Rhodes 2013) [S] Aspitates ochrearia: Larva (e.o. Rhodes 2013) [S] Aspitates ochrearia: Larva (e.o. Rhodes 2013) [S] Aspitates ochrearia: Larva (e.o. Rhodes 2013) [S] Aspitates ochrearia: Larva (e.o. Rhodes 2013) [S] Aspitates ochrearia: Habitat in Northern Greece (Askio mountains), May 2011. Here occur many interesting species such as Arctia festiva and Polyommatus bavius. [N] Aspitates ochrearia: Habitat on Attaviros (Rhodes, late September 2013) [S]

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives probably polyphagous in the herb layer, although Fabaceae should be preferred.

Habitat:
Aspitates ochrearia inhabits nutrient-poor, dry grasslands, steppes and Mediterranean scrub.

Life cycle:
The moths fly from April to early June and again in autumn (August to September). I found them from early to mid-May in Samos and in the Askio Mountains as well as in late September in Rhodes (all Greece). The males fly in the meadows during the day and rest at straws. Females are more intensely colored, but apparently observed more rarely.

Remarks:
Aspitates ochrearia is quite widespread in Southern Europe. Further to the north it occurs nly locally in the west (France, British Isles) and east (from SE-Poland southeastward). It is also found in N-Africa, parts of Asia (such as Turkey) and N-America.



Aspitates collinaria