Gortyna flavago (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)


Gortyna flavago: Adult (e.p.Memmingen, August 2010) [S] Gortyna flavago: Adult (e.p.Memmingen, August 2010) [S] Gortyna flavago: Adult (e.p. Memmingen, August 2010) [S] Gortyna flavago: Young larva (Schwäbisch Gmünd, late May 2010) [M] Gortyna flavago: Half-grown larva in Arctium lappa stem, Memmingen, S-Germany, late June 2011. [M] Gortyna flavago: Half-grown larva in Arctium lappa stem, Memmingen, S-Germany, late June 2011. [M] Gortyna flavago: Larva in moult rest (Memmingen, July 2011) [M] Gortyna flavago: Larva drilling into a new stem [S] Gortyna flavago: Larva (Memmingen, July 2011) [S] Gortyna flavago: Larva [S] Gortyna flavago: Larva: head [S] Gortyna flavago: Drilling hole of a larva [S] Gortyna flavago: Pupa (Memmingen, August 2010) [M] Gortyna flavago: Pupa (Memmingen, August 2010) [M] Gortyna flavago: Larval habitat in a spruce forest near Memmingen: Arctium lappa in a forest road side verge in late June 2011. [N] Gortyna flavago: Larval habitat in a spruce forest near Memmingen: Arctium lappa in a forest road side verge in late June 2011. [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives in myelinated stems of many herbs, including particular species of Arctium (burdock), Eupatorium, Valeriana, Cirsium (thistles).

Habitat:
Gortyna flavago inhabits mostly slightly moist habitats such as forest edges, clearcuts, roadside verges, stream margins and similar places.

Life cycle:
The egg hibernates. The caterpillar lives from late April to July/August in the stems. The pupation takes place there, too. I found pupae in mid-August 2010 in a wooded area near Memmingen in ground-level sections of the stems of Arctium lappa. The moths fly in the early autumn from mid/late August to October.

Endangerment factors:
Gortyna flavago is not endangered.

Remarks:
Gortyna flavago occurs in Europe (excluding Northern Scandinavia) and from Western Asia to the Altai.



Gortyna borelii 
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