Cerocala sana Staudinger, 1901

Host plants:
The larvae feed on Cistaceae (Helianthemum). I recorded larvae on Helianthemum thymiphyllum Svent. and H. canariensis on Lanzarote Island.

Habitat:
Cerocala sana inhabits dunes and inland semiarid places with sand or fine soil.

Life cycle:
Cerocala sana has several generations per year, probably with (relative?) break in summer drought. I recorded fresh and worn individuals at the same time as half-grown and mature larvae in late Janurary 2020 (Lanzarote, SW of Teguise). The larvae hide themselves superficially buried into the sandy soil under and around the host plants during daytime. A prepupa in its loose cocoon was also superficially hidden in the sandy soil. A large part of the mature larvae entered into a dormancy of several months prior to pupation while the smaller part pupated without break.

Remarks:
Cerocala sana occurs in N-Africa, the eastern islands of the Canaries (Lanzarote, Fuerteventura) and in SW-Asia (Cyprus, Israel and adjacing areas, Iran, Iraq, Arabian Peninsula).