Xylena exsoleta (Linnaeus, 1758)

Host plants:
The larvae are polyphagous, but feed often on Fabaceae.

Habitat:
Xylena exsoleta develops in grasslands, fringes, dry warm ruderal terrain, fallow land and embankments.

Life cycle:
The moths hibernate and fly from September to early May. The caterpillars are most often found from late April to June. In La Gomera (Canary Islands) I found caterpillars already in March. They pupated then in April. The moths developed in the pupa and then rested until September, when the adult emerged after the onset of cooler weather.

Endangerment: endangered

Endangerment factors:
In Central Europe the moth is highly threatened by the ever escalating intensity of land use by humans. In the south, however, it is despite also there to observe biotope reduction still more numerous and not particularly vulnerable so far.

Remarks:
Xylena exsoleta occurs from the Canary Islands across Northwest Africa and most of Europe to Japan.