Diloba caeruleocephala (Linnaeus, 1758)

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives on woody Rosaceae such as Prunus and sometimes also Pyrus, Amelanchier and Crataegus species. In Central Europe Prunus spinosa is the most important host plant.

Habitat:
Diloba caeruleocephala inhabits warm, open forests (coppice forests, riparian forests, white oak forests), hedgerows, bushy grasslands, scrub and similar locations.

Life cycle:
The egg overwinters. The caterpillar is found from late April to June. The moths fly in the autumn (September/October).

Endangerment factors:
The is in decline in many places, so especially north of the Alps, by the uniformization of the landscape (removal of bushes and hedges, modern agriculture) and the dark forest management without clearings and bushy edges.

Remarks:
Diloba caeruleocephala has a western Palaearctic distribution and is found in many parts of Europe. OIt is still common in the Mediterranean area.