Lythria cruentaria (Hufnagel, 1767)


Lythria cruentaria: Male (SW-Germany, Upper Rhine, Baden airport, 01. May 2018) [N] Lythria cruentaria: Male (SW-Germany, Upper Rhine, Baden airport, 01. May 2018) [N] Lythria cruentaria: Male (SW-Germany, Upper Rhine, Baden airport, 01. May 2018) [N] Lythria cruentaria: Male (SW-Germany, Upper Rhine, Baden airport, 01. May 2018) [N] Lythria cruentaria: Female (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Female (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Female (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Female (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Half-grown larva (SE-Poland, early September 2021) [M] Lythria cruentaria: Half-grown larva (SE-Poland, early September 2021) [M] Lythria cruentaria: Half-grown larva (SE-Poland, early September 2021) [M] Lythria cruentaria: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Larva (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Larva (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Larva (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Larva (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Larva (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Larva (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Larva (e.l. rearing, SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [S] Lythria cruentaria: Larval habitat (SE-Poland, larva in early September 2021) [N] Lythria cruentaria: Habitat (SW-Germany, Baden-Airport, 01. May 2018) [N] Lythria cruentaria: Habitat (SW-Germany, Baden-Airport, 01. May 2018) [N] Lythria cruentaria: Habitat (SW-Germany, Baden-Airport, 01. May 2018) [N]

Host plants:
The larvae feed on sorrels, especially Rumex acetosella.

Habitat:
Lythria cruentaria inhabits nutrient-poor, often sandy places on acid ground with the host plants, such as sandy grasslands, dams, semi-dry grasslands and ruderal areas.

Life cycle:
The pupa hibernates and Lythria cruentaria is on the wing in two or three generations between April(in the south already from March) and September. The larva occurs from May to September.

Remarks:
Lythria cruentaria occurs from Europe (misses on the British Isles, in the Arctic regions and most of the Alps) to Kazakhstan.
Lythria cruentaria is threatened in many regions because sandy grasslands have almost disappeared due to afforestation, abandonment, agricultural intensification and infrastructure measures.



Lythria purpuraria