Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esper, 1789)


Chrysodeixis chalcites: Adult (e.l. La Gomera 2013) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Adult (e.l. La Palma 2012) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Adult (e.l. La Palma, larva in December 2012) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Adult (e.l. La Gomera 2013) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Adult (e.l. Madeira 2013) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Adult (Madeira, Sao Lourenco, März 2013) [N] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Adult (La Palma 2010) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Adult (e.l. La Palma, December 2010) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Adult (La Palma, December 2010) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Adult [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Adult [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Adult (e.l. La Gomera) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Ovae (La Palma, December 2011) [N] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Young larva (Madeira 2013) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Young larva (La Palma, December 2012) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Young larva (La Palma, December 2012) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Young larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Half-grown larva (La Palma, December 2012) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Half-grown larva (La Palma, December 2012) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Half-grown larva [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Half-grown larva (Madeira, March 2013) [N] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Half-grown larva (Madeira, March 2013) [N] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Half-grown larva (Madeira, March 2013) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva (La Palma, December 2010) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva (Madeira, March 2013) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva (Madeira, March 2013) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva (La Palma, December 2012) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva (La Palma, December 2012) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva (La Palma, December 2012) Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva (Madeira, March 2013) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva (Madeira, March 2013) [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva (La Gomera) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larva (La Gomera) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Cocoon at the lower leaf side of Nicotiana glauca, La Palma, December 2011. [N] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Pupa [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Pupa [M] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Pupa (e.l. La Gomera) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: The pupae are variable in colour (e.l. La Palma 2012) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: The pupae are variable in colour (e.l. La Palma 2012) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: The pupae are variable in colour (e.l. La Palma 2012) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: The pupae are variable in colour (e.l. La Palma 2012) [S] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larval habitat in Madeira (Larvae on Galinsoga and others, March 2013) [N] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larval habitat in La Palma (larvae on Calendula and Nicotiana, December 2012) [N] Chrysodeixis chalcites: Larval habitat in Madeira (larvae on Urtica, March 2013) [N]

Host plants:
The larvae are very polyphagous. In Fuerteventura and La Gomera, I found many larvae in parks at different Pelargonium species. In La Palma, I met the insects on Echium and Nicotiana glauca. In La Gomera (2013) the larvae were observed on Geranium, Bidens and Bituminaria bituminosa and on Madeira (2013) on Urtica and Galinsoga.

Habitat:
The ubiquitous common species is found especially in vegetation-rich areas such as gardens, parks, farmland or forb communities. Chrysodeixis chalcites prefers in the Canaries coast-near areas and does not rise as high in the mountains as Cornutiplusia circumflexa.

Life cycle:
Chrysodeixis chalcites has a continuous development in warm conditions, otherwise probably the larvae try to hibernate. But it tolerates no frost and thus can not survive winters in most of Europe. The eggs are often laid singly or in small groups on the underside of leaves. I often found such eggs on Nicotiana glauca (La Gomera, La Palma).

Remarks:
Chrysodeixis chalcites is widely distributed in the Old World, but reaches northern areas such as Germany only singly as a rare migrant butterfly. In Europe, the beautiful species is probably native only on the southern Mediterranean coast and on the Atlantic Islands. In the south, Chrysodeixis chalcites is regarded as agricultural pest species.


German version / deutsche Version