Hadena sancta (Staudinger, 1859)

Host plants:
The larva feeds on flowers and fruits of Silene species. I found them in Sardinia (Sinis Peninsula and Costa Verde) only on Silene succulenta on coastal sand dunes.

Habitat:
Hadena sancta principally lives on coastal sand dunes. Occasionally it may settle on stony slopes and similar dry places, too.

Life cycle:
The pupa hibernates and the moths are on the wing in spring (late February to early June).
The caterpillars can be searched between April and June. I found them by day in the sunshine sitting openly on the glutinous plants (Silene succulenta, Sardinia, May 2012).

Endangerment factors:
Hadena sancta is regionally endangered because of the destruction of coastal dunes due to tourism.

Remarks:
Hadena sancta occurs in north Africa, Southern Spain, Malta, Corsica and Sardinia and parts of Southwestern Asia.

Hadena sancta is a very close relative of Hadena silenes. The subspecies Hadena sancta protai which is shown on this page is endemic to Sardinia and Corsica.