Chersotis cuprea (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives obviously especially on Asteraceae such as Centaurea or Taraxacum, but is rarely found.

Habitat:
Chersotis cuprea inhabits nutrient-poor grasslands and especially partly dry and partly humid pastures in the Alps.

Life cycle:
The moths fly from July to August, rarely still in early September. They like to visit flowers of Asteraceae such as Centaurea and thistles and are conspicuous there also during daytime. Oviposition occur in rearing always in batches into the inflorescences of e.g. Centaurea or thistles. The young larva hatches in early autumn, hibernates small and is fully-grown usually in June. The larvae live on the ground and are seldom recorded.

Endangerment factors:
Outside of the Alps Chersotis cuprea is in sharp decline due to the destruction of important habitats like extensive pastures (intensification, afforestation, abandonment). In the high altitudes, however, Chersotis cuprea is still common.

Remarks:
Chersotis cuprea occurs in the European mountains between about 500 and 2800m and Fennoscandia. To the east, it occurs to eastern Siberia.