Dryobota labecula (Lederer, 1855)


Dryobota labecula: Adult (e.l. Olympus 2011) [S] Dryobota labecula: Adult (e.l. Olympus 2011) [S] Dryobota labecula: Adult (e.l. Olympus 2011) [S] Dryobota labecula: Adult (Olympus 2011) [S] Dryobota labecula: Adult (Olympus 2011) [S] Dryobota labecula: Adult (Olympus 2011) [S] Dryobota labecula: Half-grown larva (May 2011, Olympus) [M] Dryobota labecula: Half-grown larva (May 2011, Olympus) [M] Dryobota labecula: Larva (Olympus, May 2011) [M] Dryobota labecula: Larva (Olympus, May 2011) [M] Dryobota labecula: Larva (Olympus, May 2011) [M] Dryobota labecula: Pupa [S] Dryobota labecula: Larval habitat in low altitudes at Mount Olympus (May 2011) [N] Dryobota labecula: Larval habitat in low altitudes at Mount Olympus (May 2011) [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillars live on oak trees, especially Quercus coccifera and according to literature Quercus ilex.

Habitat:
Dryobota labecula colonized the Mediterranean maquis with Quercus coccifera and other oak-rich clear dry forests in the lowlands to about 1000m asl (e.g. at Mount Olympus).

Life cycle:
The moths fly in the autumn from late August to late October or early November. The egg overwinters. I found the caterpillar in May 2011 in number on flowering Quercus coccifera at Mount Olympus in Northern Greece. The caterpillars rest for a long time in the cocoon and pupate not until August/September.

Remarks:
Dryobota labecula occurs in Europe only in the south from the Iberian Peninsula across Southern France and Italy to the Balkans. In addition, it is present for example in Northwest Africa and Western Asia.


German version / deutsche Version