Rethera komarovi (Christoph, 1885)


Rethera komarovi: Adult (Armenia, June 2012, photo: Emmanuel Ruiz) [M]

Host plants:
Rubiaceae (Galium, Rubia)

Habitat:
Rethera komarovi inhabits dry and hot rocky slopes, gorges and similar places in mountain ranges between 600 and 1700m asl.

Life cycle:
Rethera komarovi occurs most often in one generation between mid-April and June or July (higher mountains only). The larva feeds between May and July or August mostly on plants on rocks or open soil.

Endangerment factors:
In Europe, Rethera komarovi is endangered by destruction of habitats (e.g. construction of streets), but also by busch and woodland encroachment.

Remarks:
In Europe, Rethera komarovi occurs only in the southern Balkans (e.g. N-Greece, S-Bulgaria, Macedonia). The main distribution is in Asia between Turkey and W-China.