Eupithecia carpophagata Staudinger, 1871

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives on Silene species, according to literature on Silene saxifraga and S. rupestris. I found it common in the Italian Alps at 2500m above sea level on Silene cordifolia in mid-August 2010. Additionally I observed eggs and larvae in the northern Greek Phalakro mountains in July 2011 on Silene saxifraga.

Habitat:
Eupithecia carpophagata colonized rocky terrain, dry slopes and rocky or dry grassland-like forest edges.

Life cycle:
The pupa hibernates. The moths fly from late May to early August in a single generation. The caterpillar is found from late June to September. It feeds on flowers and seeds of the Silene species.

Remarks:
Eupithecia carpophagata is distributed in some European mountains: eastern Pyrenees, Central and Southern Alps, the French Massif Central, central Apennines, Balkan Peninsula.

On calcareous rocks, the moths are brighter.