Drypterygia scabriuscula (Linnaeus, 1758)

Host plants:
The caterpillar consumes Polygonaceae species (Rumex, Fallopia and Polygonum).

Habitat:
Drypterygia scabriuscula occurs in warm, more lowland habitats such as dry ruderal areas, woodland edges, sandy grasslands, river sides and more or less humid, herb-rich ares in floodplain woodlands. I observed a fully-grown caterpillar on Fallopia dumetorum that grew at the border of an oak forest to sandy grassland in the northern Upper Rhine valley in Germany in mid-Septemper 2012. In mid-August 2013 I tapped there more than a dozen caterpillars from that plant (L1 to half grown).

Life cycle:
The pupa hibernates. The moths are on the wing from May to September in one or two generations (according to location and year). The caterpillars develop between late May and October. At daytime the larvae often hide down on the base of the plants, e.g. under dead leaves.

Remarks:
Drypterygia scabriuscula occurs in much of Europe and Western Asia. In North America there is a closely related taxon.