Axia nesiota Reisser, 1962
![Axia nesiota: Male (e.l. Samos 2015) [S]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_2im2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Male (e.l. Samos 2015) [S]")
![Axia nesiota: Male (e.l. Samos 2015) [S]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_im2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Male (e.l. Samos 2015) [S]")
![Axia nesiota: Male (e.l. Samos 2015) [S]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_3im2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Male (e.l. Samos 2015) [S]")
![Axia nesiota: Female (e.l. Samos 2015) [S]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_4im2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Female (e.l. Samos 2015) [S]")
![Axia nesiota: Female (e.l. Samos 2015) [S]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_5im2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Female (e.l. Samos 2015) [S]")
![Axia nesiota: Female (e.l. Samos 2015) [S]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_6im2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Female (e.l. Samos 2015) [S]")
![Axia nesiota: Eggs (e.o.-breeding ex Samos 2015) [S]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_ei2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Eggs (e.o.-breeding ex Samos 2015) [S]")
![Axia nesiota: L1-larva freshly hatched (e.o. breeding ex Samos 2015) [S]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_rpe2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: L1-larva freshly hatched (e.o. breeding ex Samos 2015) [S]")
![Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_2rpe2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]")
![Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_3rpe2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]")
![Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_4rpe2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]")
![Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_5rpe2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]")
![Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_6rpe2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]")
![Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_7rpe2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]")
![Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_8rpe2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]")
![Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_9rpe2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Larva (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [M]")
![Axia nesiota: Pupa (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [S]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_ppe2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Pupa (Samos, Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [S]")
![Axia nesiota: Larval habitat in Samos (Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [N]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_h2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Larval habitat in Samos (Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [N]")
![Axia nesiota: Larval habitat in Samos (Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [N]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_2h2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Larval habitat in Samos (Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [N]")
![Axia nesiota: Larval habitat in Samos (Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [N]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_3h2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Larval habitat in Samos (Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [N]")
![Axia nesiota: Larval habitat in Samos (Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [N]](bilder1/noctuidae/nesiota_4h2015.jpg "Axia nesiota: Larval habitat in Samos (Kerkis, 500m asl, late April 2015) [N]")
Host plants:
The larvae feed on a few shrubby Euphorbia species. In Samos, the only host plant is Euphorbia acanthothamnus.
Habitat:
Axia nesiota inhabits dry and hot, often rocky slopes with scarce vegetation (e.g. garigue).
Life cycle:
The moths occur in autumn between September and November with peak in October. The larvae develop between late October and following spring (April or even early May). So far they have been most often recorded in November and December (Samos, Dieter Fritsch). I observed three mature larvae in Kerkis mountain range (W-Samos) in 500m asl in late April 2015. They pupated in early May. Some larvae should already pupate from February. The pupa aestivates.
Remarks:
According to present knowledge Axia nesiota occurs only in southern parts of Greece (e.g. Peloponnes, Crete, Samos). Judging from this pattern, it is very probable that Axia nesiota will be found in Asia Minor, too.
