Atolmis rubricollis (Linnaeus, 1758)


Atolmis rubricollis: Adult (e.l. Memmingen, Southern Germany) [S] Atolmis rubricollis: Adult (ventral side) [S] Atolmis rubricollis: This freshly eclosed moth is drying its wings (eastern Swabian Alb, S-Germany, Dischingen, June 2013) [N] Atolmis rubricollis: Collar [S] Atolmis rubricollis: Adult [S] Atolmis rubricollis: Young Larva (beaten from deciduous woods, eastern Swabian Alb, July 2012) [S] Atolmis rubricollis: Young larva (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2012) [S] Atolmis rubricollis: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb 2012) [S] Atolmis rubricollis: Half-grown larva (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2012) [S] Atolmis rubricollis: Half-grown larva (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2012) [S] Atolmis rubricollis: Larva (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb 2012) [S] Atolmis rubricollis: Larva (Kardorf near Memmingen, September 2012) [S] Atolmis rubricollis: Larva (Memmingen, September 2009) [M] Atolmis rubricollis: Larva (Memmingen, September 2009 [M] Atolmis rubricollis: Pupa [S]

Host plants:
In the first place the caterpillars feed on algae of spruce branches (more rarely also deciduous trees), but also on lichens and moss.

Habitat:
Atolmis rubricollis inhabits coniferous forests of all kinds. I observed larvae (beating method) also on deciduous trees that were interspersed with Clematis vitalba at the northern border of the eastern Swabian Alb (Germany).

Life cycle:
The mature caterpillars can be beaten from the lower branches of older spruce trees at often shaded, humid forest roads in the late summer and early fall (August/September) where green algae are grazed. In this way, I found near Memmingen dozens of caterpillars, partly together with Hyloicus pinastri, Dendrolimus pini and Panthea coenobita. The pupa overwinters and moths are found from mid-May to July.

Endangerment factors:
Not endangered.

Remarks:
Atolmis rubricollis is distributed from northern and Central Europe to the Amur region.