Macaria artesiaria ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775)

Host plants:
The species feeds on willow species (especially Salix purpurea).

Habitat:
Macaria artesiaria inhabits warm willow sites such as flood plains, particularly those at large, only little or not canalized rivers, lake shores or successions on gravel and sand. I met the larvae quite numerous in Northern Greece (Pindos) in mid-May 2010 and 2011 in a sandy-muddy, wide river valley on Salix purpurea.

Life cycle:
Macaria artesiaria hibernates in the egg stage. The moths fly in usually two generations from late May to early October.

Endangerment: endangered

Endangerment factors:
As bright, warm willow stocks have declined dramatically as a result of channeling almost all the rivers in Central Europe, Macaria artesiaria is endangered at least there.

Remarks:
Macaria artesiaria occurs in Europe from the northern Mediterranean to the Baltic and in temperate Asia to the Amur.