Diarsia brunnea (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)


Diarsia brunnea: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Diarsia brunnea: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Diarsia brunnea: Adult (e.l. Memmingen 2010) [S] Diarsia brunnea: Adult (e.l. Memmingen, Southern Germany) [S] Diarsia brunnea: Adult (e.l. Memmingen, Southern Germany) [S] Diarsia brunnea: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, September 2011) [M] Diarsia brunnea: Young larva  [M] Diarsia brunnea: Half-grown larva [S] Diarsia brunnea: Half-grown larva [S] Diarsia brunnea: Larva prior to hibernation (Ammersee, Germany, October 2012) [M] Diarsia brunnea: Larva prior the hibernation (Memmingen, Southern Germany) [N] Diarsia brunnea: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Diarsia brunnea: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Diarsia brunnea: Larva [S] Diarsia brunnea: Larva [S] Diarsia brunnea: Larva [S] Diarsia brunnea: Larva (e.l. Ammersee 2012) [S] Diarsia brunnea: Half-grown larva (e.l. Memmingen) [S] Diarsia brunnea: Larva in last instar (e.l. Memmingen) [S] Diarsia brunnea: Larva (e.l. Ammersee 2012) [S] Diarsia brunnea: Pupa [S] Diarsia brunnea: Larval habitat at a stream near Schwäbisch Gmünd (November 2011) [N] Diarsia brunnea: Larval habitat on the eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany: humid forest aisle (October 2010) [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillars live polyphagous in the herb layer and also climb sprouting woods in the spring.

Habitat:
Diarsia brunnea colonizes not too dry forests of all kinds. It is also found in other woody habitats. I found caterpillars on grove lined stream banks along with those of Xestia baja and Mormo maura. Diarsia brunnea is hygrophilous.

Life cycle:
The caterpillar overwinters half-grown. The moths fly from June to early/mid-August. The caterpillar can easily be found with a pocket lamp at night after the winter, such as Urtica stocks along forest roads or streams, in damp woodland fringes etc. During the day, I found it under moss at the base of tree trunks. In autumn (October) I watched them resting on top of for example blackberry leaves and ferns.

Remarks:
Diarsia brunnea is widespread in Central Europe and northern Asia and in humid regions often common.



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