Jordanita subsolana (Staudinger, 1862)

Host plants:
The larva feeds on thistle species. In Germany it is observed apparently mainly on Carlina vulgaris, in the southern Alps and elsewhere on Cirsium eriophorum and Onopordum acanthinum as well as further Cirsium and Carduus species.

Habitat:
Jordanita subsolana inhabits warm and dry, sometimes also more humid, rough pastures and similar habitats with stocks of host plant. In Provence, I found many larvae on the margin of a freshly ballasted forest road through a species-rich dry open woodland with grasslands and Cirsium eriophorum (Massif de la Sainte Baume). In northern Greece Jordanita subsolana develops also in somewhat more humid sites as is shown by larval observations at a ditch near Grevena. In the southern Alps and mountain ranges of the Balkans Jordanita subsolana is often common in thistle stands on pastures, in humid depressions, on gravel or ruderal sites.

Life cycle:
The caterpillars overwinter often in L4 instar (surely there is often also a second hibernation) in loose cocoons made of plant hairs and webbing on the plant or its base and are mature in May or June. The mid-May (see above) larvae from Provence 2007 were mostly in penultimate and ultimate instars and lived in 5 and 50cm in height about one to two centimeters buried into shoot tips and leaf axils of the host plant, where they ate especially the marrow. In early April repeatedly larvae were found in 1700-1800m in northern Greece just after hibernation. They usually fed on the youngest leaves in the center of the plants, without mines. Larger larvae then bury into the shoot tip of the developing stem, or into axils. Pupation usually occurs near the plant base in the litter or in the soil. The moths fly from late June to July, in lowlands of southern Europe already from mid-May (or even a bit earlier) and in the north or upper altitudes still in early August. The eggs are deposited singly or in loose groups on stems or leaves where they are well concealed under the plant hairs.

Endangerment: strongly endangered

Endangerment factors:
In Central Europe Jordanita subsolana has been pushed back by habitat loss onto a few islands. But Jordanita subsolana lacks vast areas naturally, such as Baden-Württemberg. In the mountains (e.g., southern Alps, Balkans) and generally in many parts of southern Europe Jordanita subsolana is still less or even not endangered so far.

Remarks:
Jordanita subsolana is distributed in the southern half of Europe from Spain to the Black Sea and further to western Asia (Asia Minor etc.). The northern boundary runs through central Germany.