Xestia triangulum (Hufnagel, 1766)


Xestia triangulum: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, Remsufer, 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Adult (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, e.l. 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, Remsufer 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Adult (e.l. Memmingen 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, September 2011) [M] Xestia triangulum: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, September 2011) [M] Xestia triangulum: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, September 2011) [M] Xestia triangulum: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, Remsufer, October 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) Xestia triangulum: Larva in penultimate instar (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva in penultimate instar (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva in penultimate instar (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) Xestia triangulum: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva (Upper Rhine 2011) Xestia triangulum: Larva (Upper Rhine 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva (Upper Rhine 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, Remsufer 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, Remsufer 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, Remsufer 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia triangulum: Pupa [S] Xestia triangulum: Pupa [S] Xestia triangulum: Larval habitat at the Remsufer near Mögglingen (S-Germany): numerous larval records at Urtica (October 2011) [N] Xestia triangulum: Larval habitat on the eastern Swabian Alb: forest road with Clematis vitalba and many woods. September 2011. I observed there also young larvae of Xestia rhomboidea six weeks later.. [N] Xestia triangulum: Larval habitat in a humid forest aisle on the eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany (early November 2010) [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillars live polyphagous on herbs and low shrubs. I found them on the eastern Swabian Alb from September to November 2011 very often on Urtica dioica, Clematis vitalba and Rubus idaeus.

Habitat:
Xestia triangulum inhabits forest edges, clearcuttings, riparian forests and stream banks, bushy places and similar habitats where forb communities are interlocked with woody plants.

Life cycle:
Xestia triangulum flies in a single generation from June to mid-August. In autumn, the caterpillars can be tapped on stream banks with Urtica and in other habitats. The wintered caterpillars are found in April and May. I found it near Memmingen often on Rubus and Urtica. They also climb on sprouting woods.

Remarks:
Xestia triangulum is widespread in Europe and temperate Asia.



Xestia agathina | Xestia ashworthii | Xestia baja | Xestia c-nigrum | Xestia castanea | Xestia collina | Xestia ditrapezium | Xestia kollari | Xestia mejiasi | Xestia ochreago | Xestia rhomboidea | Xestia sexstrigata | Xestia xanthographa 
German version / deutsche Version