Papestra biren (Goeze, 1781)


Papestra biren: Adult (e.l. Allgäu) [S] Papestra biren: Adult [S] Papestra biren: Larva in penultimate instar ( in moult rest) Papestra biren: Larva after the last moult  [S] Papestra biren: Larva [S] Papestra biren: Larva [S] Papestra biren: Larva (west Austrian Alps, Montafon, Bilkengrat, August 2012) [M] Papestra biren: Larva (west Austrian Alps, Montafon, Bilkengrat, August 2012) [M] Papestra biren: Larva (e.l. west Austrian Alps, Montafon, Bilkengrat, August 2012) [S] Papestra biren: Larva (e.l. west Austrian Alps, Montafon, Bilkengrat, August 2012) [S] Papestra biren: Larva (e.l. Allgäu) [S] Papestra biren: Larva (e.l. Allgäu) [S] Papestra biren: Larva (e.l. west Austrian Alps, Montafon, Bilkengrat, August 2012) [S] Papestra biren: Pupa [S] Papestra biren: Pupa dorsal [S] Papestra biren: Pupa dorsal [S] Papestra biren: Pupa (e.l. Montafon 2012) [S] Papestra biren: Pupa (e.l. Montafon 2012) [S] Papestra biren: Larval habitat in a dwarf shrub area in the west Austrian Alps (Bilkengrat in the Montafon) in 2100m asl (larvae on Vaccinium uliginosum, August 2012)  [N]

Host plants:
The larvae are polyphagous, but feed often on Vaccinium.

Habitat:
Papestra biren inhabits light, wet woodlands and mountain forests. The moth also occurs above the timber line in dwarf shrub belts.

Life cycle:
The pupa hibernates. The moths fly from May to July. I found caterpillars between mid-July until late August. After hibernation the adults emerge relatively quickly (e.g. 15 days at 19 degrees centigrade).

Endangerment factors:
Papestra biren is locally endangered mainly outside the Alps by the leveling of herb-rich wet forests due to dense forestation.

Remarks:
The distribution is Holarctic: from the Pyrenees across Europe to Japan and also in North America.


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