Xestia baja (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)


Xestia baja: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2012) [S] Xestia baja: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2012) [S] Xestia baja: Adult (e.l. Upper Rhine 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Adult (e.l. Memmingen 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2012) [S] Xestia baja: Adult (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2010) [S] Xestia baja: Adult [S] Xestia baja: Adult [S] Xestia baja: Young larva [S] Xestia baja: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, October 2011) [M] Xestia baja: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, October 2011) [M] Xestia baja: Young larva (Upper Rhine, September 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, October 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, October 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, October 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, October 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, October 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Young larva (Upper Rhine, September 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Young larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany, October 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Half-grown larva [S] Xestia baja: Half-grown larva [S] Xestia baja: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Half-grown larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva in last instar [S] Xestia baja: Larva in last instar [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (Schwäbisch Hall 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larva (eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Pupa [S] Xestia baja: Pupa (e.l. eastern Swabian Alb, Southern Germany 2011) [S] Xestia baja: Larval habitat near Schwäbisch Gmünd: Urtica on of a humid clearing, October 2011. [N] Xestia baja: Larval habitat near Schwäbisch Gmünd: stream edge with Urtica and woods (November 2011) [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillars are polyphagous and feed on herbs and leaves of young or low growing woods.

Habitat:
Xestia baja inhabits rather hygrophilous bushy areas, forests and their edges along paths or on clearings and other forb-rich communities. I found the young caterpillar often from September to November for example near Schwäbisch Gmünd and Memmingen (Germany) near the banks of streams.

Life cycle:
The moths fly in July and August, rarely still in September. The caterpillar overwinters and is mature in May. It can be tapped like most Xestia species in autumn (mainly October to mid-November) in the ground-near riparian vegetation as well as in nettle and herbaceous communities of woody edges. In the spring it is easy to find with a pocket lamp at night and climbs even higher on young shrubs.

Remarks:
Xestia baja is widespread in Eurasia and usually common in moist regions.



Xestia agathina | Xestia ashworthii | Xestia c-nigrum | Xestia castanea | Xestia collina | Xestia ditrapezium | Xestia kollari | Xestia mejiasi | Xestia ochreago | Xestia rhomboidea | Xestia sexstrigata | Xestia triangulum | Xestia xanthographa 
German version / deutsche Version