Hada plebeja (Linnaeus, 1761)

Synonyms/other combinations:
Hada nana Hufnagel, 1766
Hada dentina ([DENIS & SCHIFFERMÜLLER], 1775)

Hada plebeja: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb) [S] Hada plebeja: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [S] Hada plebeja: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb) [S] Hada plebeja: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb) [S] Hada plebeja: Egg on the upper leaf surface (Schwäbisch Gmünd, May 2012) [M] Hada plebeja: Egg on the upper leaf surface (Schwäbisch Gmünd, May 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: L1-larva (Ostalb) [M] Hada plebeja: Half-grown larva (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [S] Hada plebeja: Young larva (e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: Young larva (e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: Young larva (e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, 2012) Hada plebeja: Half-grown larva (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany) [S] Hada plebeja: Larva in penultimate instar (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb) [S] Hada plebeja: Larva in penultimate instar (e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: Larva in last instar (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb) [S] Hada plebeja: Larva in last instar (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb) [S] Hada plebeja: Larva (e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: Larva (e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: Larva (e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: Larva (e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: Larva (e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: Larva (e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: Pupa (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb) [S] Hada plebeja: Pupa (e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: Pupa (e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: Pupa (caudal, e.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2012) [S] Hada plebeja: Larval habitat on the eastern Swabian Alb (Germany, May 2007). Here I obtained larvae from Silene nutans (together with those of Hadena albimacula and Hadena filograna). But the species inhabits also much less spectacular habitats. [N]

Host plants:
The larvae are polyphagous, but seem to occur often on Silene nutans and other pinks when young. I found eggs in a graden meadow on Rumex obtusifolius in Schwäbisch Gmünd (Germany, 2012).

Habitat:
Hada plebeja inhabits nutrient-poor dry grasslands, meadows, wetlands and is also found in residential areas. In the Alps, it rises to at least 2400m above sea level (e.g. larval observation in Engadine).

Life cycle:
The pupa hibernates. Adults are found from mid-May to July and occasionally in a very partial second generation even later. I obtained caterpillars several times from flowers of Silene nutans (Swabian Alb, June 2007), so that oviposition and juvenile development seems to take place often on Caryophyllaceae (but not exclusively). The older caterpillars live very concealed on the ground and move on to other plants (like Asteraceae).

Remarks:
Hada plebeja is widespread in Europe and extends to Central Asia and Mongolia.


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