Actinotia polyodon (Clerck, 1759)

Host plants:
Hypericum species, particularly Hypericum perforatum.

Habitat:
Actinotia polyodon colonizes nutrient-poor grasslands, gravel pits, ruderal terrain, edges, sand plains and other sunny habitats with Hypericum.

Life cycle:
The pupa hibernates. The moths fly in cool locations in a single generation from late May to July. Otherwise, it usually occurs in two generations (but second often only partially) with moths from April to August or September. The caterpillar lives in the summer and early autumn. They are often concealed at the base of the host plant during the day.

Endangerment factors:
Actinotia polyodon is in distinct decline since ruderal terrain, known erroneously as badlands, are becoming rarer and also edges by extending the agricultural fields more and more. But overall it is still not seriously threatened.

Remarks:
Actinotia polyodon occurs from Northern Spain across the whole of central and some parts of southern and Northern Europe as well as temperate Asia to Japan.