Phragmatobia fuliginosa (Linnaeus, 1758)

Host plants:
The caterpillar is very polyphagous.

Habitat:
Phragmatobia fuliginosa is a ubiquist (omnipresent), which occurs in the open land of all kinds as well as on clear-cuttings in the forest and forest edges. In the Alps Phragmatobia fuliginosa occurs up to about 2700m above sea level, where it has only one generation. Here I found many caterpillars in the search for alpine species under stones. In altitudes of 2500m above sea level, the caterpillars are half grown in August and reach the final moult mostly in late Septemper or early October.

Life cycle:
Mostly there are two generations. The caterpillar overwinters mature and pupates in March/April in tufts of grass, under stones, between heather etc., usually without having eaten again. Adults can be found in the Central European lowlands from April to May and again in July/August. Particularly common are the caterpillars which descend from the second generation of moths in September and October, although many will succumb to the traffic when crawling over streets.

Endangerment factors:
Phragmatobia fuliginosa is not endangered. Although the moth is a typical species of unused field margins and embankments in arable farm land, it has already partially disappeared from the most intensive agricultural landscapes without fallow rest habitats and has been forced back to extensive areas such as fens and dry grasslands.

Remarks:
Phragmatobia fuliginosa occurs from Northwest Africa across Europe to East Asia.