Triphosa sabaudiata (Duponchel, 1830)

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives on Rhamnus species (buckthorn). I found the caterpillar in the Engadine at Rhamnus pumila.

Habitat:
Triphosa sabaudiata inhabits warm, rocky slopes, that are interspersed with bushes and are located near woodlands. Hibernation takes place in rather dry caves. Presumably, the moths overwinter as Triphosa dubitata also in smaller gaps, cavities in trees, sheds or other places, which is to investigate yet.

Life cycle:
The moths hibernate and live from July to May. The caterpillar is usually found from May to early July (depending on altitude).

Endangerment: strongly endangered

Endangerment factors:
Outside the Alps, Triphosa sabaudiata is threatened with extinction by overgrowth of the rock slopes, degradation of wintering caves and other factors. In the Alps and some Asian mountains the risk is still low.

Remarks:
Triphosa sabaudiata occurs in Europe in the Alps and locally in the Balkans. Very rarely, it can be found in a few lower mountain ranges (e.g. the northern edge of the Swabian Alb). Triphosa sabaudiata inhabits also several mountains in Asia Minor and in the rest of Asia.