Apamea rubrirena (Treitschke, 1825)


Apamea rubrirena: Adult (e.l. northern Black Forest, SW-Germany, 2010) [S] Apamea rubrirena: Adult (e.l. northern Black Forest, SW-Germany) [S] Apamea rubrirena: Larva (northern Black Forest, SW-Germany, early June 2010) [M] Apamea rubrirena: Larva (northern Black Forest, SW-Germany, early June 2010) [M] Apamea rubrirena: Larva caudal [S] Apamea rubrirena: Larva cranial [S] Apamea rubrirena: Larva, shelter removed [M] Apamea rubrirena: Pupa (e.l. northern Black Forest, SW-Germany) [S] Apamea rubrirena: Kremaster [S] Apamea rubrirena: Larval habitat in the northern Black Forest, SW-Germany: Festuca altissima in a forest road embankment [N] Apamea rubrirena: Larval habitat in the northern Black Forest, SW-Germany in early June 2010: Festuca altissima in a forest road embankment [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillars live on the forest grasses (Calamagrostis, Festuca). The most important species seems to be Festuca altissima.

Habitat:
Apamea rubrirena colonized montane to subalpine coniferous forests, where clump-forming grasses are found in the undergrowth.

Life cycle:
The caterpillars overwinter and become mature, depending on altitude, between late May and early July. They live in a cavity on the surface in the root collar area of the grass clump, and generally at the upper slope side. When seeking the greenish droppings are conspicuous.
The moths fly from mid or late June to late August or early September. The peak is mostly in the second half of July.

Endangerment factors:
Apamea rubrirena is often spread only very small scale outside their main areas of distribution (e.g. Alps, other mountain ranges) and thus vulnerable to large-scale forest destruction for roads, etc. Overall, the risk is still not very strong.

Remarks:
Apamea rubrirena is widespread in the north from Norway to the east across northern Russia (taiga belt) to east Asia (Japan). Further south it is found in European and Asian mountains. In Europe, especially in the Alps and lower mountains in central, eastern and Southeastern Europe (Black Forest, Harz, Thuringian Forest, Erzgebirge, Tatras, Sudetes, Balkans, etc.).



Apamea aquila | Apamea characterea | Apamea crenata | Apamea furva | Apamea illyria | Apamea lateritia | Apamea lithoxylaea | Apamea maillardi | Apamea monoglypha | Apamea platinea | Apamea ramonae | Apamea remissa | Apamea scolopacina | Apamea sordens | Apamea sphagnicola | Apamea sublustris | Apamea unanimis | Apamea zeta 
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