Herse convolvuli (Linnaeus, 1758)


Herse convolvuli: Adult (e.l. Memmingen 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: Adult (e.l. Memmingen, ex August 2010) [S] Herse convolvuli: Adult (e.l. Memmingen 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: Adult [S] Herse convolvuli: Adult in resting posture [S] Herse convolvuli: Ovum on the lower side of a leaf of Calystegia sepium (Memmingen, early July 2011) [M] Herse convolvuli: Ovum on the lower side of a leaf of Calystegia sepium (Memmingen, early July 2011) [M] Herse convolvuli: L1-larva (Memmingen, early July 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: L1-larva (Memmingen, early July 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: L2-larva (Memmingen, Southern Germany) [S] Herse convolvuli: L3-larva (Memmingen, Southern Germany) [S] Herse convolvuli: L3-larva (Memmingen, Southern Germany) [S] Herse convolvuli: L3-larva (Memmingen, Southern Germany) [S] Herse convolvuli: Larva in penultimate instar (L4, Memmingen 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: Larva in penultimate instar (L4, Memmingen 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: Larva in penultimate instar (L4, Memmingen 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: L5-larva (Memmingen, 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: L5-larva (Memmingen, 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: L5-larva (Memmingen, 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: L5-larva (Memmingen, 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: L5-larva (Memmingen, 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: L5-larva (Memmingen, 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: L5-larva (Memmingen, 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: L5-larva (Memmingen, 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: Stigma of a L5-larva (Memmingen 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: Larva green [N] Herse convolvuli: Larva dark [N] Herse convolvuli: Larva  [N] Herse convolvuli: Pupa (e.l. Memmingen 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: Pupa (e.l. Memmingen 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: Pupa [S] Herse convolvuli: Pupa (e.l. Memmingen 2011) [S] Herse convolvuli: Larval habitat (egg record): Calystegia sepium in a corn field near Memmingen, July 2011) [N] Herse convolvuli: Larval habitat: Calystegia sepium in a corn field near Memmingen, early August 2011) [N]

Host plants:
Convolvulaceae, especially Convolvulus species (including Calystegia).

Habitat:
Herse convolvuli is found especially in open areas, such as in agricultural landscapes. The moths feed at dusk or at night in gardens on Phlox, Lonicaea and other flowers.
I found caterpillars especially on Calystegia sepium on the edge of corn fields on former fen soils near Memmingen (Germany). In addition, it also occurs in drier fields at Convolvulus arvensis. The caterpillars are notable for extensive defoliation of the winds that are twining up the corn stalks.

Life cycle:
Herse convolvuli is a migrant butterfly from the southern Mediterranean region and Africa, whose pupae usually hardly survive our winters. Only very occasionally deeply entrenched pupae may survive mild winters in lowland areas.
In Central Europe the moths arrive from the end of May to July. Caterpillars can be found from July to August and only rarely still in September. In breeding, the moths emerge often in the late summer/autumn out of the pupae.
In Africa and in the Canaries and Madeira, Herse convolvuli can be observed all the year.
But in the Canaries, the secies is much rarer than Acherontia atropos.

Endangerment factors:
As a migrant Herse convolvuli is not endangered in Central Europe. Nevertheless, in the more often populated agricultural areas you can observe further and further intensification and elimination of the winds. Lots of good arable areas with regular presence of Herse convolvuli have been lost since my childhood by overbuilding for housing and more and more industrial areas, and the remaining fields are sprayed more intense.

Remarks:
The distribution covers the entire ancient world. In cooler climate areas Herse convolvuli only occurs as a migrant. Imagines have even been spotted in Iceland!