Apamea sordens (Hufnagel, 1766)


Apamea sordens: Imago (e.l. rearing, S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, larva found in July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago (e.l. rearing, S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, larva found in July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago (e.l. rearing, S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, larva found in July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago (e.l. rearing, S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, larva found in July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago (e.l. rearing, S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, larva found in July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2008) [S] Apamea sordens: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Apamea sordens: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Apamea sordens: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Apamea sordens: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2008) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago of the light coastal form (e.l. The Netherlands, Zeeland, larva in late March 2014) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago of the light coastal form (e.l. The Netherlands, Zeeland, larva in late March 2014) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago of the light coastal form (e.l. The Netherlands, Zeeland, larva in late March 2014) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago directly after eclosion (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago directly after eclosion (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Imago directly after eclosion (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Young larva (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Young larva (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Young larva (S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, larva found in July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, larva found in July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, larva found in July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, larva found in July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, larva found in July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, larva found in July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: Young larva (Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Young larva (Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Half-grown larva (N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Half-grown larva (N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Half-grown larva (N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Half-grown larva (N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, 2008) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2008) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2008) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (Upper Rhine 2011) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva (Upper Rhine 2011) [S] Apamea sordens: Larva, resulting in the light coastal form (The Netherlands, Zeeland, late March 2014) [M] Apamea sordens: Larva, resulting in the light coastal form (The Netherlands, Zeeland, late March 2014) [M] Apamea sordens: Larva, resulting in the light coastal form (The Netherlands, Zeeland, late March 2014) [M] Apamea sordens: Larva, resulting in the light coastal form (The Netherlands, Zeeland, late March 2014) [M] Apamea sordens: Larva, resulting in the light coastal form (The Netherlands, Zeeland, late March 2014) [M] Apamea sordens: Larva, resulting in the light coastal form (The Netherlands, Zeeland, late March 2014) [M] Apamea sordens: Larva, resulting in the light coastal form (The Netherlands, Zeeland, late March 2014) [M] Apamea sordens: Pupa (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Apamea sordens: Pupa [S] Apamea sordens: Pupa (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Pupa (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Pupa (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Pupa prior to eclosion (e.l. rearing, N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [S] Apamea sordens: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [S] Apamea sordens: Pupa (e.l. rearing, S-Germany, Stuttgart-Plieningen, larva found in July 2021) [S] Apamea sordens: One of many possible larval habitats. Such higher and denser growing grasslands are always settled by larvae (eastern Swabian Alb, October 2010) [N] Apamea sordens: Larval habitat near the coast (The Netherlands, Zeeland, late March 2014) [N] Apamea sordens: Larval habitat (N-Germany, Sachsen-Anhalt, Kuhfelde, larvae found in late August 2020) [N] Apamea sordens: Larval habitat (Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [N] Apamea sordens: Larval habitat (Switzerland, Valais, Leuk, larvae found in July 2019) [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillar feeds on grasses, including cereals and maize. Initially, the larvae often eat unripe grass fruits in lates summer and autumn. Later the caterpillars are found mostly on the ground at night.

Habitat:
Apamea sordens occurs mainly in open areas and is very adaptable. I tapped young caterpillars from Origanum vulgare (rest place) in a nutrient-poor grassland in August. The spectrum ranges from moist to dry warm.

Life cycle:
The caterpillar overwinters in various instars, most often already in the final instar. In winter (December to early February) they are usually not active. In spring (February to April) they feed again and pupate quickly. The moths fly from early or mid-May to July. The young to half-grown larvae are easily beaten out of grassy and herbaceous vegetation between July and September. The mature larvae are easily found with a torch at night in early spring.

Endangerment factors:
Apamea sordens is common and not threatened. However, it is hardly harmful any more in our age of agrochemicals.

Remarks:
The distribution extends across large parts of Europe and Asia, including Japan. It is also reported from N-America.

I consider Apamea sordens closely related to the Azorean A. sphagnicola and A. ramonae.



Apamea anceps | 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 rubrirena | Apamea scolopacina | Apamea sphagnicola | Apamea sublustris | Apamea unanimis | Apamea zeta 
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