Herminia tarsicrinalis (Knoch, 1782)


Herminia tarsicrinalis: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Adult in resting posture (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2011) [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2011) [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Adult (e.l. Upper Rhine 2011) [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Larva (northern Upper Rhine 2011) [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Larva (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2011) [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Larva prior to hibernation (eastern Swabian Alb) [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Larva prior to hibernation [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Larva after the hibernation (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Larva after the hibernation (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb 2011) [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Pupa [S] Herminia tarsicrinalis: Larval habitat on the northern Upper Rhine in September 2011. Here I tapped larvae from broken branches where still the leaves hung.

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives polyphagous on dead or dying leaves, secondarily also on herbs and shrubs. The larvae live in the litter or on broken branches and bushes or trees with a high amount of dead leaves.

Habitat:
Herminia tarsicrinalis is mostly found in undergrowth-rich, open woods. More rarely also shrubbery rich grasslands, swamps, settlements or other woody habitats are colonized.

Life cycle:
The caterpillar overwinters in last instar and eats again some time in the spring. I found the caterpillar in late September on blackberry and dead leaves of broken branches. The moths often fly in a single generation from late May to early August. In low, warm areas moths are already found in May. Here is a partial second generation added in August and early September.

Remarks:
The in Central Europe quite common species occurs from Northern Spain to Korea. They lack in Scandinavia and much of the southern Mediterranean.



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