Euxoa distinguenda (Lederer, 1857)

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives polyphagous on grasses and herbs (mainly root collar region and other ground-near plant parts). I found them in South Tyrol often superficially digged between loose stocks of Medicago falcata.

Habitat:
Euxoa distinguenda colonizes rocky slopes and other rupicolous and xerothermic grasslands areas. Important requisits are spots with fine subtrate.

Life cycle:
I observed young caterpillars at a particularly xerothermous, still preserved remnant of the Vinschgau (Val Venosta) steppe-slopes between mid-March and late April (2007, 2011, 2012) in about 700m above sea level under flat stones and superficially digged in fine substrate during the day day. The moths fly from mid-July through September.

Endangerment factors:
Euxoa distinguenda is threatened in southern Central Europe through the loss of habitat. In the South Tyrolian Val Venosta (Vinschgau) for example, the valley has been completely devalued by intensive orchards since a long time. The excessive use poisons also affect the dry slopes. The steppe-grasslands were already heavily decimated and fragmented, both by intensifying, but especially by completely nonsensical reforestation efforts with Robinia and Pinus, which destroys the valuable steppe vegetation. Unfortunately, South Tyrol is no longer necessarily worth a trip for nature lovers, even if in the high altitudes and some side valleys there are still some pretty areas left.

Remarks:
Euxoa distinguenda occurs in Central Europe only in the Valais and in parts of the Southern Alps. Euxoa distinguenda is more widespread in south and Southeastern Europe as well as in Asia Minor.