Colobochyla salicalis (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives on Salix and Populus species (willow, poplar). I recorded the larvae on ground-near, young Populus nigra shoots along a track in open scrub.

Habitat:
The hygrophile species inhabits bright, moist forests, clearcuttings and plantations with grassy fringes and young willow or aspen.

Life cycle:
The pupa hibernates. The moths fly in a single or two generations from May to September with peak in late May and in June. The caterpillars live then from June to September. Their way of life is not well known. I recorded them on very young Populus nigra in open scrb in Lower Austria.

Endangerment: regionally endangered or decreasing

Endangerment factors:
Colobochyla salicalis is in decline since softwoods and border edges are becoming increasingly rare in our central-European forests that are largely degenerated to pure timber fields.

Remarks:
The distribution ranges from Northern Spain through central and parts of Southern Europe to the Urals.