Brithys crini Fabricius, 1775

Synonyms/other combinations:
Brithys pancratii, Brithys encausta

Brithys crini: Female (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Brithys crini: Female (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Brithys crini: Female (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Brithys crini: Male (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023, moth in late July 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Male (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023, moth in late July 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Male (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023, moth in late July 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Male (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023, moth in late July 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Female (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023, moth in late July 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Female (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023, moth in late July 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Female (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023, moth in late July 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Female (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023, moth in late July 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Female (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023, moth in late July 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Batch of eggs, presumably laid some days ago (Sicily, Selinunte, late April 2023) [N] Brithys crini: Batch of eggs, presumably laid some days ago (Sicily, Selinunte, late April 2023) [M] Brithys crini: Batch of eggs, presumably laid some days ago (Sicily, Selinunte, late April 2023) [M] Brithys crini: Batch of eggs, presumably laid some days ago (Sicily, Selinunte, late April 2023) [M] Brithys crini: Batch of eggs, still some days later (Sicily, Selinunte, late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Batch of eggs prior to hatching (Sicily, Selinunte, late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Empty batch of eggs after hatching (Sicily, Selinunte, late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: L1 larva (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: L1 larva (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: L1 larva (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: L1 larva (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: L1 larva mining in a leaf (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: L2 larvae (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Young larva (Sicily, Selinunte, late April 2023) [N] Brithys crini: Young larva (Sicily, Selinunte, late April 2023) [N] Brithys crini: Half-grown larva (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Half-grown larva (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Larva (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Larva (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Larva (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Larva (e.o. rearing, Sicily, Selinunte, eggs found in late April 2023) [S] Brithys crini: Half-grown larva in a leaf, Sardinia, Sinis, mid-May 2012 [N] Brithys crini: Half-grown larva (Sardinia, Sinis, mid-May 2012) [N] Brithys crini: Half-grown larva (Sardinia, Sinis, mid-May 2012) [N] Brithys crini: Half-grown larva (Sardinia, Sinis, mid-May 2012) [N] Brithys crini: Larva (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Brithys crini: Larva (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Brithys crini: Larva (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Brithys crini: Pupa [S] Brithys crini: Pupa [S] Brithys crini: Half-grown larvae in the habitat (Sardinia, Sinis, mid-May 2012) [N] Brithys crini: Half-grown larvae in the habitat (Sardinia, Sinis, mid-May 2012) [N] Brithys crini: Feeding pattern of the half-grownn larvae (Sardinia, mid-May 2012) [N] Brithys crini: Habitat with Pancratium maritimum on the Sinis peninsual in Sardinia, mid-May 2012. [N] Brithys crini: Habitat (Sicily, Selinunte, late April 2023) [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillars live on Pancratium maritimum and related genera such as Drimia (maritima). In rearing they accept readily Narcissus leaves.

Habitat:
Brithys crini inhabits especially coastal dunes with the presence of the larval host plant.

Life cycle:
I found the caterpillar in Sardinia in mid-May 2012 and eggs and younger larvae on Sicily in late April 2023. The moths are variable in colour and fly from late March to May and then again in an at least partial second generation in July-September. The caterpillars are thus probably most likely to occur from late April to June and again in August-October.

The eggs are deposited in larger batches on leaves of the host plant. The caterpillars live at least initially sociable and mine in the leaves. Later they eat in a sort of scraping on the leaves and eat parts of the leaves totally. They scatter a bit in last instar. Pupation takes place in the sand.

Endangerment factors:
Brithys crini is highly endangered in Europe as the European shores are extremely affected by redevelopment and tourism (infrastructure, bathing) such as for extremely heavily in the Côte d'Azur. Their habitats deserve unconditional protection!

Remarks:
The subtropical species occurs in Europe especially on the coasts from Portugal through Spain and southern France to Italy and Greece (Peloponnese). In Sardinia it is locally still common.
Further Brithys crini is found in parts of Africa (including South Africa), S-Asia and Australia. It is sometimes accidentally introduced into other regions.


German version / deutsche Version