Host plants:
The caterpillars feed on lichens, mosses and old plant materials such as grasses from the former year.
Habitat:
As habitats Eilema lutarella uses grasslands and rocky slopes. Important are xerothermic, moss-rich, but nevertheless higher and denser growing areas and partly shrub. Compared to Eilema pygmaeola heavily grazed, meagre areas that lack any shrubs are rather avoided in Eilema lutarella. This species inhabits also dry clearings, heathlands and similar habitats. In Valais, I met some caterpillars and butterflies in partly very high abundance in dense growing, fallow rocky slopes with higher vegetation.
Life cycle:
The wintered caterpillar is mature in June and can be found early in the morning most likely on stones. As soon as the sun rises higher, the caterpillars quickly hide in the moss layer. Moths are found in July/August at daytime feeding on Origanum vulgare, Centaurea and thistles. The copula, in which the females are sometimes swarmed by many males, is often taking place early in the morning at 8 clock.
Disturbed moths let often fall themselves while flying and hide in the moss.
Endangerment: endangered
Endangerment factors:
Eilema lutarella tolerates neither too strong encroachment nor intensive grazing.
Remarks:
The distribution extends from Northwest Africa across Europe to the Amur region.