Charissa variegata (Duponchel, 1830)


Charissa variegata: Female (e.l. rearing, Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, larva in early May 2016) [S] Charissa variegata: Female (e.l. rearing, Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, larva in early May 2016) [S] Charissa variegata: Larva (Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, early May 2016) [M] Charissa variegata: Larva (Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, early May 2016) [M] Charissa variegata: Larva (Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, early May 2016) [M] Charissa variegata: Larva (Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, early May 2016) [M] Charissa variegata: Larva (Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, early May 2016) [S] Charissa variegata: Larva (Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, early May 2016) [S] Charissa variegata: Larva (Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, early May 2016) [S] Charissa variegata: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, larva in early May 2016) [S] Charissa variegata: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, larva in early May 2016) [S] Charissa variegata: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, larva in early May 2016) [S] Charissa variegata: Larval habitat (Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, early May 2016) [N] Charissa variegata: Larval habitat (Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, early May 2016) [N] Charissa variegata: Larval habitat (Greece, Mount Parnassus, Arachova, 1100m, early May 2016) [N]

Host plants:
The larvae feed on various ferns and herbs of their rocky larval habitats. I recorded the larva on Scrophularia in a rocky embankment on the foothills of Mount Parnassus (1100m) in Greece. Other common host plants are e.g. ferns of the genus Asplenium.

Habitat:
Charissa variegata inhabits rocky or stony slopes, embankments, cliffs and old quarries.

Life cycle:
The larva hibernates and is mature most often in April or May. They are usually betrayed by their feeding scars. The larvae usually keep themselves more near the base of the plants. The moths occur between early May and September in most often two generations. The second one is supposedly more or less incomplete.

Remarks:
Charissa variegata occurs in parts of Southern and the more Southern Central Europe, northward to the Southern and partly also Central Alps (most parts of French Alps, S-Switzerland, S-Austria).

Hints on determination:
Charissa variegata is usually larger than the similar Charissa staudingeri and Ch. subtaurica.



Charissa glaucinaria | Charissa intermedia | Charissa obscurata | Charissa pullata | Charissa staudingeri | Charissa subtaurica