Cucullia dracunculi (Hübner, 1813)


Cucullia dracunculi: Adult (e.l. east Spain, Teruel, larva in late August 2013) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Adult (e.l. east Spain, Teruel, larva in late August 2013) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Adult (e.l. east Spain, Teruel, larva in late August 2013) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Adult (e.l. east Spain, Teruel, larva in late August 2013) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Adult (e.l. east Spain, Teruel, larva in late August 2013) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (Provence, Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [M] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (Provence, Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [M] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (Provence, Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (Provence, Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [M] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (Provence, Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [M] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (Provence, Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (Provence, Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (Provence, Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (Provence, Luberon, early October 2014) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (Provence, Luberon, early October 2014) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (Provence, Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (Provence, Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (east Spain, Teruel, late August 2013) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (east Spain, Teruel, late August 2013) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (east Spain, Teruel, late August 2013) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (east Spain, Teruel, late August 2013) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Larva (east Spain, Teruel, late August 2013) [S] Cucullia dracunculi: Pupa (e.l. east Spain, Teruel, 2013) Cucullia dracunculi: Larva in habitat, dug out from superficial soil (east Spain, Teruel, late August 2013) [M] Cucullia dracunculi: Aster aragonensis (host plant in east Spain, Teruel, late August 2013) [N] Cucullia dracunculi: Larval habitat with Aster aragonensis in east Spain near Teruel. The thin shoots of host plant are inconspicuous. I recorded also Cucullia xeranthemi larvae (late August 2013) [N] Cucullia dracunculi: Typical feeding scar on Aster sedifolius (Provence, Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [N] Cucullia dracunculi: Larval habitat with Aster sedifolius in Provence (Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [N] Cucullia dracunculi: Larval habitat with Aster sedifolius in Provence (Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [N] Cucullia dracunculi: Larval habitat in Provence (Massif de la Sainte Baume, late September 2014) [N] Cucullia dracunculi: Larval habitat in Provence (Luberon, early October 2014) [N]

Host plants:
The larvae feed on Aster species(e.g. Aster linosyris, Aster sedifolius, Aster aragonensis).

Habitat:
Cucullia dracunculi inhabits extensively managed drylands such as maquis, dry nutrient-poor meadows, open steppe woodland and Submediterranean oak woods.

Life cycle:
The pupa hibernates and adults occur quite late between late June and August. The larvae are recorded between late July and October. I recorded them in east Spain (Sierra de Albarracin) in late August 2013 and in late September and early October in Provence. Older larvae hide in the plant layer near the ground or even in litter or buried in the ground during daytime and feed at night especially on flowers and seeds.

Remarks:
Cucullia dracunculi occurs only extreme locally in parts of southern and central Europe (e.g. east Spain, southern France, southwest Germany, east Austria, Romania) and of temperate Asia (e.g. Kazakhstan).



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