Sideridis albicolon (Hübner, [1813])

Host plants:
The caterpillar lives polyphagous on herbs. I observed it on Onobrychis montana (Valais).

Habitat:
The specific claims do not seem to be clearly known. I suspect a dependence to dry, rather warm habitats on sand or rock grasslands. I found the caterpillar in the Valais on steppe-slopes in about 800m above sea level in early July 2008.

Life cycle:
The pupa hibernates. Moths fly from May to June and rarely in a very partial second generation in August and early September. The caterpillar lives especially from mid-June to early August. It is said to hide during the day. I found it, however, in hot weather on plant stems (perhaps heat escape).

Endangerment: strongly endangered

Endangerment factors:
The economically less valuable habitats have been already destroyed in a quite far extent, so for the vineyards or industrial facilities and asparagus fields (sandy heaths) etc.

Remarks:
The spread ranges from the Iberian Peninsula across Central Europe to east Asia. Sideridis albicolon is largely absent in the extreme south and north of Europe.