Meganephria bimaculosa (Linnaeus, 1767)

Host plants:
The larvae feed on elms (Ulmus sp.).

Habitat:
Meganephria bimaculosa inhabits elm-rich groves and warm, open woodland. I recorded the larva on elms along a small streamlet near Mount Chelmos (Peloponnese) in 2016 and 2017. In May 2017 I also found a larva in Samos Island (Manolates stream valley).

Life cycle:
The moths occur in autumn (especially October). The egg hibernates and the larvae feed between April and early or mid-June.

Endangerment factors:
Meganephria bimaculosa is almost extinct in Central Europe, probably because elm-rich, warm and sunny groveshave become quite rare in the uniformous agricultural steppe and because Meganephria bimaculosa has high demands on area for a functioning meta population structure. Meganephria bimaculosa is still much less threatened in S-Europe.

Remarks:
Meganephria bimaculosa occurs in South and parts of Central Europe (almost extinct) as well as in W-Asia (e.g. Turkey).