Coscinia bifasciata (Rambur, 1832)


Coscinia bifasciata: Male (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Coscinia bifasciata: Male (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Coscinia bifasciata: Male (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Coscinia bifasciata: Male (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Coscinia bifasciata: Female (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Coscinia bifasciata: Female (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Coscinia bifasciata: Female (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Coscinia bifasciata: Female (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Coscinia bifasciata: Female (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Coscinia bifasciata: Female at start (e.l. Sardinia 2012) [S] Coscinia bifasciata: Ovae [S] Coscinia bifasciata: Half-grown larva (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Coscinia bifasciata: Larva (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Coscinia bifasciata: Larva in penultimate instar (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Coscinia bifasciata: Larva (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Coscinia bifasciata: Larva (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Coscinia bifasciata: Larva (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Coscinia bifasciata: Larva (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Coscinia bifasciata: Larva (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Coscinia bifasciata: Larva (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Coscinia bifasciata: Larva (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Coscinia bifasciata: Larva (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Coscinia bifasciata: Larva (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Coscinia bifasciata: Pupa [S] Coscinia bifasciata: Larval habitat in Sardinia: grassy embankment at a road through an oak woodland (central mountains, 700m above sea level) [N] Coscinia bifasciata: Larval habitat: stony pastures in 1200m above sea level in the Gennargentu, May 2012 [N] Coscinia bifasciata: High-density habitat (larvae) in the Gennargentu in 1000 to 1500m above sea level, May 2012. [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillars live primarily on grasses (Poaceae). Besides, occasionally herbaceous plants and lichens and mosses are eaten.

Habitat:
Coscinia bifasciata inhabits grassy habitats from the coast to the highlands. I met a greater density of caterpillars in Sardinia only in the higher elevations of Gennargentu. Here often several caterpillars were observed per square meter (usually under rocks during the day), along with those of Ocnogyna corsica. But this may be subject to greater fluctuations between the years.

Life cycle:
The caterpillar overwinters. In the high altitudes above 1000m above sea level probably most often only a single generation occurs from June to August. At lower altitudes, however, there are regularly two generations. The caterpillars spend the day like under stones or at the base of grass tussocks and are in later instars more nocturnal.

Endangerment factors:
Coscinia bifasciata is not endangered.

Remarks:
Coscinia bifasciata is endemic to Corsica and Sardinia, and especially at higher altitudes quite common and widespread. The taxon is closely related to Coscinia cribraria, which is missing on the two islands.



Coscinia benderi | Coscinia chrysocephala | Coscinia cribraria | Coscinia romeii