Platycleis albopunctata (Goeze, 1778)

Nutrition:
Young larvae feed according to literature primarily on petals, e.g. of Potentilla. In addition, also seeds etc. Older stages eat petals and especially mature and immature seeds (Detzel 1998). Moreover, the species sometimes also captures smaller insects.

Habitat:
Platycleis albopunctata colonizes skeleton rich grasslands, rocky slopes, sandy areas, gappy and dry slopes, steppe-like heathland etc. Gappy structures with open soil are important! In parts of the Alps Platycleis albopunctata can be observed up to just above 2000m above sea level.

Life cycle:
The larvae can be observed very early in late March or the beginning of April, while adults occur from June to October.

Endangerment: endangered

Endangerment factors:
Platycleis albopunctata is endangered by the decline in nutrient-poor grasslands and in the remaining habitats by the disappearance of disturbed places (open ground) due to reduced grazing (fallow), exuberant growth of grasses due to eutrophication and reforestation.

Remarks:
Platycleis albopunctata is still quite common, for example, in the Swabian Alb (Germany), where pretty small isolated habitats under 1 hectare can be colonized, provided they are not too far away from other patches. But overall, this species is declining significantly.

Platycleis albopunctata ranges from Morocco throughout the Iberian Peninsula and France to Central Europe, Southern Scandinavia and western Poland. It also occurs in southern England and large parts of the (western) Alps.

South of the main ridge of the Alps there is the taxon grisea which is sometimes considered as a subspecies of albopunctata and sometimes as a distinct species.