Hadena perplexa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives primarily on Silene vulgaris and Silene nutans (flowers, fruits).

Habitat:
Hadena perplexa is typical of warm grasslands, rocky slopes, dry and warm ruderal terrain, mountain meadows and pastures up to over 2200m above sea level.

Life cycle:
The number of generations varies depending on the site and to some extent also individually from one (most often) to 3 generations per year. For example, the caterpillars can be found as early as May or June in the Massif de la Sainte Baume, but they result in dormancy pupae, perhaps a strategy for survival of the dry, hot summer. The caterpillars time there is correlated with the flowering and fruiting period of Silene nutans/Silene itala. In the Swabian Alb (Southern Germany), the caterpillar lives only occasionally at Silene nutans. Here is Silene vulgaris the main host plant, which blooms later there (mid-June to autumn with a maximum in late June and July). Here I found caterpillars from late June to early August, so that probably a single generation occurs, perhaps with a very small overlapping partial second generation as breeding data suggest. In the Alps, caterpillars are recorded from June to early September.

Endangerment: regionally endangered or decreasing

Endangerment factors:
Hadena perplexa is still quite widespread. Nevertheless, it suffers large habitat losses in the lowlands due to the intensive use of land by humans and also biotope loss because of succession after abandonment of grazing.

Remarks:
The total distribution extends from North Africa across Europe to Siberia.