Ematurga atomaria (Linnaeus, 1758)


Ematurga atomaria: Male Ematurga atomaria: Male portrait Ematurga atomaria: Male [S] Ematurga atomaria: Male Ematurga atomaria: Female [S] Ematurga atomaria: Female [S] Ematurga atomaria: Female [S] Ematurga atomaria: Female Ematurga atomaria: Female (e.l. eastern Saxony 2012) [S] Ematurga atomaria: Larva [S] Ematurga atomaria: Larva [S] Ematurga atomaria: Larva [S] Ematurga atomaria: Larva [S] Ematurga atomaria: Larva [S] Ematurga atomaria: Larva on Artemisia (Upper Rhine) [N] Ematurga atomaria: Larva (eastern Saxony, September 2012) [M] Ematurga atomaria: Larva (eastern Saxony, September 2012) [M] Ematurga atomaria: Pupa [S] Ematurga atomaria: Pupa [S] Ematurga atomaria: Habitat in a limestone grassland of the eastern Swabian Alb (2009) [N] Ematurga atomaria: Larvalhabitat in a sandy grassland in northeastern Saxonia (Hoyerswerda, September 2012). Larvae were observed on Artemisia campestris. [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives polyphagous on herbs and dwarf shrubs such as Calluna, Lotus, Artemisia, Hypericum, Genista, etc.

Habitat:
Ematurga atomaria inhabits dwarf shrub heaths, bogs, grasslands, juniper slopes, woodland clearings, sandy areas and similar more nutrient-poor biotopes.

Life cycle:
The pupa hibernates. The moths fly from mid-April to August in one or two overlapping generations. The caterpillar is usually found from June to September or early October. I collected them for example together with Aplocera sp. on Hypericum and more often on Artemisia.

Endangerment factors:
Ematurga atomaria is still widespread and often common, especially in areas with a lot of nutrient-poor grasslands such as the Swabian Alb. However, it already lost countless habitats through afforestation, overbuilding or especially agricultural intensification, so that it has become rather local in some regions such as in Upper Swabia (Germany).

Remarks:
Ematurga atomaria is widespread in Europe and temperate Asia.