Mythimna scirpi (Duponchel, 1836)

Host plants:
The caterpillar feeds on grasses. I found a caterpillar in Ticino in late August in a tuft of Festuca ovina agg.

Habitat:
Mythimna scirpi colonizes nutrient-poor grasslands, embankments and other grassy, mostly dry and warm habitats.

Life cycle:
In contrast to most other Mythimna species the pupa overwinters. The moths fly in a single or two generations from mid-April to August. The caterpillar lives of June to early October (maximum in August/early September) and is concealed during the day in the grass clumps.

Remarks:
Mythimna scirpi is distributed in parts of Europe (especially in the south), the Near East and probably north Africa. In Central Europe it has spread in the last 100 years.