Jordanita chloros

Host plants:
Centaurea species, especially Centaurea scabiosa and Centaurea stoebe agg. incl. C. paniculata

Habitat:
Jordanita chloros inhabits nutrient-poor, often steppe-like grasslands, heathland and forest clearings with sparse vegetation. In the Cozie Alps I observed caterpillars in a loose pine forest on small clearings with Aporia crataegi, Iphiclides podalirius and Parnassius apollo at about 1200 m above sea level. In Provence I found caterpillars on Centaurea scabiosa in a large grassland complex with Melitaea phoebe, Spiris striata, Hipparchia statilinus and Arethusana arethusa. In northern Greece I encountered many adults in a sparse pine forest in the Mount Olympus in around 1000m region where it was less hot than in the open country. In northern Greece populations are often also very common on high mountains in open pastures around and above 2000m (e.g., Mount Olympus, Tymfi, Mbaros pass etc.).

Life cycle:
The adults fly in one generation in June/July (early August). Hibernation takes place as a young caterpillar. I found several caterpillars in April and May, according to the altitude sometimes still in early June. Oviposition occurs singly on stems or leaves of the host plant where the eggs are usually well concealed in the plant hairs. The larvae feed in mines as it is the case with its congeners. The presence of larvae is easily spotted by these mines. Few larvae may hibernate twice. Pupation occurs in a cocoon on the soil or in the moss layer.

Remarks:
As many foresters (green Zygaenidae) Jordanita chloros is to distinguish from similar species with certainty often only by genital dissection (at least in worn specimens), even if this species shows quite long pectination of the male antennae and a strong and characteristic yellow-green or coppery colour, according to subspecies. Thus experienced persons may recognize this species more easily than others even in the field.

Jordanita chloros occurs only very locally in Germany in the area of Brandenburg, where it is threatened by the decline of xerothermic sand grasslands. Jordanita chloros is, however, quite common in parts of southern Europe and the southwestern Alps. The total distribution covers the southwestern and southern Alps (e.g. South Tyrol in N-Italy), parts of eastern and southeastern central Europe and from eastern Europe, the Balkans across the Black Sea region to the Caucasus, northern Levant and southern Sibiria.

The populations of the southern Balkans (e.g., Northern Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece) belong to the subspecies hades, the other European populations to the nominate subspecies. Slight differences are evident also in final-instar larvae, e.g. a less intense yellow and a more grayish impression.