Thaumetopoea herculeana (Rambur, 1840)


Thaumetopoea herculeana: Male (e.l. Fuerteventura, larva in February 2011, emergence in autumn 2012) [S] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Male (e.l. Fuerteventura, larva in February 2011, emergence in autumn 2012) [S] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Male (e.l. Fuerteventura, larva in February 2011, emergence in autumn 2012) [S] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Group of young larvae (Fuerteventura, February 2010) [M] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Group of young larvae (Fuerteventura, February 2010) [N] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Group of young larvae (Fuerteventura, February 2010) [N] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Group of young larvae (Fuerteventura, February 2010) [N] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Larva (Fuerteventura, February 2010) [N] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Larva (Fuerteventura, February 2011) [N] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Larva (Fuerteventura, February 2011) [N] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Larva (Fuerteventura, February 2011) [N] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Larva (Fuerteventura, February 2011) [M] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Procession (Fuerteventura, February 2010) [N] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Procession (Fuerteventura, February 2010) [N] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Front larva of the procession shown [N] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Larval habitat in Fuerteventura (group of young larvae, February 2010) [N] Thaumetopoea herculeana: Habitat in Fuerteventura (Rio Vegas) [N]

Host plants:
The larvae feed on Cistaceae and Geraniaceae. I found them in Fuerteventura on Helianthemum, Geranium und Erodium.

Habitat:
Thaumetopoea herculeana inhabits dry slopes, stony pastures and similar biotopes.

Life cycle:
The adults occur in Fuerteventura in autumn and winter. The larvae can be found there from January to early April. The pupa aestivates then and lie partly several years. According to literature, Thaumetopoea herculeana should have two generations on the Iberian Peninsula.

Remarks:
Thaumetopoea herculeana occurs from Fuerteventura across North Africa to the Near East. In Europe it is only found in the Iberian Peninsula, but is absent there from the north.



Thaumetopoea pityocampa | Thaumetopoea processionea | Thaumetopoea solitaria