Mythimna vitellina (Hübner, 1808)

Host plants:
The larvae feeds on grasses. I found the caterpillar often in La Palma in about 600m above sea level on freshly sprouting grass in a forest fire area.

Habitat:
Mythimna vitellina inhabits open habitats such as meadows, nutrient-poor grasslands, ruderal areas, roadsides and similar places. In Northern Greece I found freshly emerged adults in dry, scrubby grasslands with Pyrgus sidae and Philotes bavius (May 2010).

Life cycle:
Mythimna vitellina has mostly two or three generations per year. The caterpillars overwinter. In the Canaries and supposedly also elsewhere in the south, moths and caterpillars can be found year-round. The caterpillars rest during the day at the base of grass clumps or in the litter as the other Mythimna larvae. Pupation takes place in a cocoon in the top soil layer.

Remarks:
Mythimna vitellina occurs in North Africa, in Southern Europe and the more southern Asia. In Central Europe occasional migratory individuals are sighted.