Schistostege decussata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)


Schistostege decussata: Adult (Northern Greece, July 2010) [N] Schistostege decussata: Adult (Northern Greece, Kastoria, late July 2010) [N] Schistostege decussata: Adult (Northern Greece, Kastoria, late July 2010) [N] Schistostege decussata: Adult (Northern Greece, Kastoria, late July 2010) [N] Schistostege decussata: Adult (e.o. Northern Greece, 2010) [S] Schistostege decussata: Young larva (e.o. Northern Greece 2010) [S] Schistostege decussata: Half-grown larva (e.o. Northern Greece 2010) [S] Schistostege decussata: Half-grown larva (e.o. Northern Greece 2010) [S] Schistostege decussata: Larva (e.o. N-Greece) [S] Schistostege decussata: Larva (e.o. Northern Greece 2010) [S] Schistostege decussata: Larva (e.o. Northern Greece 2010) [S] Schistostege decussata: Larva (e.o. Northern Greece 2010) [S] Schistostege decussata: Larva (e.o. Northern Greece 2010) [S] Schistostege decussata: Larva (e.o. Northern Greece 2010) [S] Schistostege decussata: Larva (e.o. Northern Greece 2010) [S] Schistostege decussata: Larva (e.o. Northern Greece 2010) [S] Schistostege decussata: Larva (e.o. Northern Greece 2010) [S] Schistostege decussata: Habitat in Northern Greece (Kastoria, 1500m above sea level, July 2010) [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives not on Euphorbia species (spurge) as suggested in literature. My caterpillars (e.o. Northern Greece) took only Anthriscus sylvestris (Apiaceae), but not Euphorbia cyparissias. This and the life cycle shows that the species is a close relative of Odezia atrata.

Habitat:
Schistostege decussata inhabits warm, but not too xerothermic grasslands, often near forests. In Northern Greece I found the moth in July 2010 along with Melanargia russiae in extensive grasslands in approximately 1500m above sea level.

Life cycle:
The egg hibernates. The caterpillar lives from April to June. The moths fly in June and July and are active during the day or at least easily flushed.

Endangerment factors:
Schistostege decussata is in decline in many areas because of the reduction of extensively managed grasslands.

Remarks:
Schistostege decussata is distributed from the the Maritime Alps across parts of east and Southeastern Europe to Ukraine. A very local occurrence is found in the Pyrenees.