Tyta luctuosa (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)


Tyta luctuosa: Adult (Northern Greece, May 2010) [N] Tyta luctuosa: Adult (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, 2008) [N] Tyta luctuosa: Adult [N] Tyta luctuosa: Adult [N] Tyta luctuosa: Adult [N] Tyta luctuosa: Adult [M] Tyta luctuosa: Freshly deposited ovum [S] Tyta luctuosa: Ovum after some days [S] Tyta luctuosa: Larva [S] Tyta luctuosa: Larva [S] Tyta luctuosa: Larva [S] Tyta luctuosa: Larva [S] Tyta luctuosa: Pupa [S] Tyta luctuosa: Larval habitat: Abraumhalde with Acker-Winde (eastern Swabian Alb) [N]

Host plants:
The larvae feed on Convolvulus arvensis and especially in Southern Europe surely also other Convolvulaceae.

Habitat:
Tyta luctuosa usually inhabits dry and warm habitats with open ground spots and stony areas. On the Swabian Alb I know it from clay pits and dumps of quarries. In warm lowland regions, however, Tyta luctuosa also occurs in biotopes with more closed vegetation such as meadow edges and embankments.

Life cycle:
Tyta luctuosa forms one or two generations from May to early September. The moths can be found in the case of single generation especially in June and early July. The pupa overwinters.

Endangerment: regionally endangered or decreasing

Endangerment factors:
Tyta luctuosa is in decline due to the reduction of suitable habitats, even though it should surely benefit to some extent from the global warming.

Remarks:
The spread ranges from north Africa across large parts of Europe (not in the Far North) to Central Asia.


German version / deutsche Version