Thymelicus sylvestris (Poda, 1761)


Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (S-Germany, Isny, July 2022) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (S-Germany, Isny, July 2022) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (eastern Swabian Alb, July 2013) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (eastern Swabian Alb, July 2013) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (Memmingen, S-Germany, July 2013) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (S-Germany, Isny, July 2022) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (Greece, Samos Island, May 2017) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (Greece, Samos Island, May 2017) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (Greece, Samos Island, May 2018) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Male (e.p., Greece, Peloponnese, pupa found in late May 2017) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Adult (eastern Swabian Alb, July 2013) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Adult [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Adult [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Portrait: light tips of antennae [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Portrait [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (S-Germany, Isny, July 2022) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (S-Germany, Isny, July 2022) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, July 2022) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, July 2022) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (Greece, Samos Island, May 2017) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (Greece, Samos Island, May 2017) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (Greece, Samos Island, May 2017) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (Greece, Samos Island, May 2017) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (Greece, Stereá Elláda, Galatini, May 2017) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (Greece, Stereá Elláda, Galatini, May 2017) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (Greece, Stereá Elláda, Galatini, May 2017) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female, the upper side of this individual resembles T. hyrax, but this species could be excluded by the hindwing underside (Greece, Stereá Elláda, Galatini, May 2017) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Female (Greece, Stereá Elláda, Galatini, May 2017) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Copulation (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 18. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Oviposition (S-Germany, Isny, July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Oviposition (S-Germany, Isny, July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Oviposition (S-Germany, Isny, July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Oviposition (S-Germany, Isny, July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Oviposition on Holcus lanatus (S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, July 2022) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Oviposition into a grass leaf sheath of an Avena species (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Oviposition (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Eggs hidden in grass leaf sheath (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Eggs in opened grass leaf sheath (Greece, Samos Island, May 2014) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: Eggs hidden in leaf sheath of Holcus lanatus (S-Germany, Isny, July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Eggs in opened leaf sheath of Holcus lanatus (S-Germany, Isny, July 2020) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: Eggs in opened leaf sheath of Holcus lanatus (S-Germany, Isny, July 2020) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: Eggs (S-Germany, Isny, July 2020) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: Eggs on Holcus lanatus (S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, July 2022) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: Eggs on Holcus lanatus in artificially opened sheath (S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, July 2022) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: Eggs on Holcus lanatus in artificially opened sheath (S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, July 2022) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: Larva L1 artificially fetched out of the hibernaculum (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Larva L1 artificially fetched out of the hibernaculum (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Winter hibernacula of the L1 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Winter hibernacula of the L1 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Winter hibernacula of the L1 larva (S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Winter hibernacula of the L1 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Winter hibernacula of the L1 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Winter hibernacula of the L1 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L1 larva after hibernation (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L1 larva after hibernation (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L1 larva with its tube (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L1 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L1 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L1 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L1 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L1 larva in moult rest into L2 (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L1 larva in moult rest into L2 (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Tube of L1 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L2 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L2 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L2 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L2 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L2 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L2 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L2 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Tube and feeding pattern L2 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Tube and feeding pattern L2 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L2 larva (S-Germany, Isny, mid-April 2023) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: L2 larva (S-Germany, Isny, mid-April 2023) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: L3 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L3 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L3 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L3 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L3 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Shelter of a half-grown larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L4 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L4 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L4 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L4 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L4 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L4 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L4 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L4 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L4 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L4 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L4 larva in moult rest (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L5 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L5 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: L5 larva (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Larva with feeding pattern (Ticino, May 2006) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Larva [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: Larva [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Larva (S-Germany, Memmingen, 18. June 2013) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: Larva (S-Germany, Memmingen, 18. June 2013) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: Larva (S-Germany, Memmingen, 18. June 2013) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: L5 larva with seat pad on Phalaris arundinacea (S-Germany, isny, 06. June 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: L5-larva (S-France, Gap, 11. June 2023) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: L5-larva (N-Greece, Siatista, 15. May 2008) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, June 2013) [M] Thymelicus sylvestris: Feeding scars on Phalaris (S-Germany, isny, 06. June 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Prepupa (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Pupa (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Pupa (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Pupa (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Pupa, adult already partially developed (e.o. S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found in July 2022) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Pupa (e.l. Switzerland, Ticino, larvae found in May 2006) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Pupa (e.l. Greece, Samos Island, larvae found in April 2019) [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Pupa [S] Thymelicus sylvestris: Habitat in the wet part of the spectrum (wood-near Molinia grassland on the eastern Swabian Alb in Germany, 2007) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Habitat on a clearcutting in the forest (eastern Swabian Alb, 2009) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Habitat in a dry nutrient-poor limestone habitat on the eastern Swabian Alb (Germany, late July 2006). Here I observed also Thymelicus acteon and Thymelicus lineola. [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Oviposition habitat in an humid meadow with Holcus lanatus (S-Germany, Lautrach near Memmingen, eggs found on 09. July 2022) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Habitat (S-Germany, Heidenheim/Brenz, 10. July 2007) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Larval habitat with Phleum, Dactylus, Calamagrostis and Phalaris (S-Germany, Isny, 06. June 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Habitat along a grass-rich aisle through a pine bog woodland (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 10. July 2020) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Habitat in a dry ruderal area at the margin of a garrigue where already dead annual grasses had been used for oviposition. the young larvae have to change to fresh grasses in spring (Greece, Samos Island, late May 2014) [N] Thymelicus sylvestris: Habitat in a wetland (Greece, Samos, late May 2014) [N]

Host plants:
The larvae feed on productive grasses such as Dactylus, Agropyron, Calamagrostis, Avena or Phalaris and very often Holcus species. In slightly disturbed humid grasslands near Memmingen (S-Germany) I recorded many ovipositions and eggs on Holcus lanatus. On that grass species I found also T. lineola, but much rarer.

Habitat:
Thymelicus sylvestris inhabits wetlands, fens, clearcuts, nutrient-poor grasslands and (woodland) fringes. The imago also flies in xerothermic grasslands on limestone, where it is often syntopic with the other two species of Thymelicus. In southern Europe Thymelicus sylvestris often also inhabits ruderal areas with grasses like Avena, even very dry and hot ones.

Life cycle:
The oviposition occurs in small numbers (3-18, often around 10 eggs) in leaf sheaths of productive grasses. The female lands on a blade and climbs backwards with searching abdomen tip and helically downwards. If there is a suitable gap between the blade and a leaf sheath the eggs are deposited. The eggs are not visible from the outside. They are rounder than the still more oval eggs of T. lineola and T. acteon. The L1 larva with brown head capsule (black in T. lineola and T. acteon) hatches a few days later (around 10 days), consumes the egg shell and creates directly the winter cocoon (hibernaculum) which it does not leave until spring. The young larva is less conspicuous than that of Th. lineola (probably as it lives more near the dround on less conspicuous grass leaves) and I thus found it more rarely. The larvae live in typical tubes of grass leaves and cause a typical feeding pattern.
I observed, however, older caterpillars numerously in late May and early June. At this time they may also live on seat pads more openly on grass leaves.
Thymelicus sylvestris tends to be the earliest appearing Thymelicus in Central Europe and flies there between mid June and early August. In southern Europe, it is on the wing from late April to June, only in the mounatins later.

Endangerment factors:
Thymelicus sylvestris is not endangered.

Remarks:
The distribution ranges from Northwest Africa across Europe (except northern Scandinavia and some islands of especially the western Mediterranean and Crete) to the Middle East.



Thymelicus acteon | Thymelicus christi | Thymelicus hyrax | Thymelicus lineola