Dericorys carthagonovae Bolívar, 1897

Nutrition:
The animals only feed on dwarf shrubs of the Chenopodiaceae family (nowadays Amaranthaceae). I recorded most individuals on Anabasis articulata.

Habitat:
Dericorys carthagonovae occurs in semi-arid to halophilous environments like salines, coastal areas, dry river beds (Ramblas, Barrancos) and on dry slopes and similar places, mostly below 600m, but sometimes up to 1000m.

Life cycle:
The adults occur from early summer well into autumn and even winter. I recorded many specimens in early October and mid-November 2022 in several sites near Almeria. The animals usually stay on their host plants where they are well camouflaged. The larvae probably develop after the autumn/winter rains. They are partly green.

Remarks:
Dericorys carthagonovae is endemic to southern Spain where it occurs from Almeria and the eastern part of Granada province (here very rare) across Murcia to Alicant. In Almeria and also Murcia it is still more widespread and locally even common in hot coastal areas and hill sides - provided that intense agriculture and overbuilding of all kinds (these are the main endangerment factors) have not destroyed the habitat yet.