Characoma nilotica (Rogenhofer, 1882)
![Characoma nilotica: Adult (e.l. rearing, Spain, Fuerteventura, larva in February 2011) [S]](bilder1/noctuidae/nilotica_im2011.jpg "Characoma nilotica: Adult (e.l. rearing, Spain, Fuerteventura, larva in February 2011) [S]")
![Characoma nilotica: Adult (e.l. rearing, Spain, Fuerteventura, larva in February 2011) [S]](bilder1/noctuidae/nilotica_2im2011.jpg "Characoma nilotica: Adult (e.l. rearing, Spain, Fuerteventura, larva in February 2011) [S]")
![Characoma nilotica: Half-grown larva (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nilotica_3im2011.jpg "Characoma nilotica: Half-grown larva (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M]")
![Characoma nilotica: Half-grown larva (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nilotica_4im2011.jpg "Characoma nilotica: Half-grown larva (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M]")
![Characoma nilotica: Larva (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nilotica_5im2011.jpg "Characoma nilotica: Larva (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M]")
![Characoma nilotica: Larva (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nilotica_6im2011.jpg "Characoma nilotica: Larva (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M]")
![Characoma nilotica: Larva (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nilotica_7im2011.jpg "Characoma nilotica: Larva (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M]")
![Characoma nilotica: Mature larva (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M]](bilder1/noctuidae/nilotica_8im2011.jpg "Characoma nilotica: Mature larva (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M]")
![Characoma nilotica: Larval habitat (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [N]](bilder1/noctuidae/nilotica_9im2011.jpg "Characoma nilotica: Larval habitat (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [N]")
![Characoma nilotica: Larval habitat (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [N]](bilder1/noctuidae/nilotica_10im2011.jpg "Characoma nilotica: Larval habitat (Spain, Fuerteventura, February 2011) [N]")
Host plants:
The larvae feed on Tamarix and Casuarina.
Habitat:
Characoma nilotica inhabits stands of Tamarix in warm regions, e.g. in hot barrancos, valleys, shores and salty habitats.
Life cycle:
In warm regions, Characoma nilotica probably has a continuous development with several generations per year. In southernmost Europe the scarce records succeed more in summer and autumn. I recorded larvae together with those of microlepidoptera and geometrids by beating Tamarix in Fuerteventura in February 2011. They live within spun shelters.
Remarks:
Characoma nilotica has a very large distribution in Africa, S-Asia and parts of America. It is also found in the Canaries and in southernmost Europe: e.g. Crete, Malta and sporadically northwards to the whole Mediterranean (but here mostly only migratory).
