Microloxia schmitzi Hausmann, 1995

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives on Asteraceae. The main host plant is at least in Fuerteventura Launaea arborescens (= Prenanthes spinosa), where I could observe the larva in February 2011. Furthermore Schizogyne sericea is reported in literature.

Habitat:
Microloxia schmitzi inhabits dry warm land of all kinds. I observed high concentrations in sandy dunes areas (Istmo de la Pared, Fuerteventura) in February 2010 and 2011. But Microloxia schmitzi populates also ravines, rocky slopes and other places with the widespread occurrence of Launaea arborescens.

Life cycle:
The moths are likely to fly in an unbroken succession of generations. It is not clear so far whether a strategy of partial persistence of summer drought is present. Launaea offers any case even in summer green feedable parenchyma, although hardly leaves.

Endangerment factors:
Microloxia schmitzi is still threatened not stronger. However, the partially rampant tourism in the Canaries certainly already destroyed much habitat area.

Remarks:
Microloxia schmitzi is endemic to the more eastern Canary Islands and very numerous for example in Fuerteventura.