Mesapamea secalis (Linnaeus, 1758)


Mesapamea secalis: Adult (e.l. Memmingen 2011) [S] Mesapamea secalis: Adult (e.l. Memmingen 2011) [S] Mesapamea secalis: Adult (e.l. northern Upper Rhine N of Karlsruhe, larva in April 2012) [S] Mesapamea secalis: Larva (Memmingen, May 2011) [M] Mesapamea secalis: Larva (Memmingen 2011) [M] Mesapamea secalis: Larva (Memmingen, May 2011) [M] Mesapamea secalis: Larva (Memmingen, May 2011) [S] Mesapamea secalis: Larva (Memmingen, May 2011) [S] Mesapamea secalis: Larva (river Iller near Memmingen, May 2011) [M] Mesapamea secalis: Larva (northern Upper Rhine near Karlsruhe, April 2012) [S] Mesapamea secalis: Larva (northern Upper Rhine near Karlsruhe, April 2012) [S] Mesapamea secalis: Larva (northern Upper Rhine near Karlsruhe, April 2012) [S]

Host plants:
The caterpillars live in grasses (Dactylus, Arrhenaterum, Phleum, etc.).

Habitat:
Mesapamea secalis inhabits grassy habitats of all kinds (pastures, embankments, forest edges, gardens, ruderal terrain) as long as a certain extensivity is given. Even this widespread species is absent from multi-cut manure dandelion meadows!

Life cycle:
The caterpillar overwinters and is mature in late April or in May (approximately 2-3 weeks later than Oligia sp. from the same location). They can be found relatively easy if you search Dactylis-clumps for wilting heart leaves and with weaker stalks/older caterpillars for through bitten stalk bases. The caterpillars then usually rest close to the ground in/on the stalk (if they have not already migrated to another). A similar feeding pattern show larvae of Oligia and Hydraecia micacea.

The moths fly from late June to early September.

Remarks:
Mesapamea secalis occurs from Northwest Africa across Europe to parts of Asia (e.g. Anatolia).

Hints on determination:
Mesapamea secalis can be distinguished as adult only through genital section with certainty.



Mesapamea maderensis | Mesapamea pinkeri | Mesapamea storai 
German version / deutsche Version