Herminia grisealis (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)


Herminia grisealis: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, July 2011) [S] Herminia grisealis: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, July 2011) [S] Herminia grisealis: Adult (e.l. Upper Rhine, larva in September 2012) [S] Herminia grisealis: Adult (e.l. Upper Rhine, larva in September 2012) [S] Herminia grisealis: Half-grown larva (Upper Rhine near Hügelsheim, September 2012) [S] Herminia grisealis: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, July 2011) [S] Herminia grisealis: Larva (Upper Rhine near Hügelsheim, September 2012) [S] Herminia grisealis: Larva (Upper Rhine near Hügelsheim, September 2012) [S] Herminia grisealis: Larva (Upper Rhine near Hügelsheim, September 2012) [S] Herminia grisealis: Larva (Upper Rhine near Hügelsheim, September 2012) [S] Herminia grisealis: Larva (Upper Rhine near Hügelsheim, September 2012) [S] Herminia grisealis: Larva (Upper Rhine near Hügelsheim, September 2012) [S] Herminia grisealis: Pupa (e.l. Upper Rhine 2012) [S] Herminia grisealis: Pupa (e.l. Upper Rhine 2012) [S] Herminia grisealis: Larval habitat on the eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany: young, mixed oak forest with broken branches on the ground, and a high portion of dead or dying leaves. July 2011. [N] Herminia grisealis: Larval habitat on the eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany: young, mixed oak forest with broken branches on the ground, and a high portion of dead or dying leaves. July 2011. [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives primarily on dying and dead leaves, especially oak, but also of ash, etc.

Habitat:
Herminia grisealis inhabits light deciduous forests. I found caterpillars in July 2011 (Alb) by tapping about 10 to 15 years old oaks, which showed a high proportion of dying, mildew-damaged leaves and additionally on branches that were broken about 6 to 8 weeks ago and now were lying on the ground, still leafy. Such obviously more nutrient-rich food sources are preferred by Herminia grisealis, but also other Herminia species, Paracolax, Trisateles or Polypogon against old fall foliage on the soil. In September 2012, I tapped larvae from Clematis vitalba (many dead leaves of other species) in the Upper Rhine Valley.

Life cycle:
The pupa overwinters. The moths fly in one or two generations from May to September. In the warm year 2011 a second generation was observed also on the eastern Swabian Alb.

Remarks:
You can easily find the caterpillars, together with other related species, by tapping broken branches that are already lying around for a few weeks and still bear the leaves.

Herminia grisealis is widespread in Europe and is also found in temperate Asia to Japan.



Herminia tarsicrinalis | Herminia tarsipennalis | Macrochilo cribrumalis | Pechipogo flavicrinalis | Pechipogo plumigeralis | Pechipogo strigilata | Polypogon gryphalis | Polypogon tentacularius | Zanclognatha lunalis 
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