Xestia castanea (Esper, 1798)


Xestia castanea: Male (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Male (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Male (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Male (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Male (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Male (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Female (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Female (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Female (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Female (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Female (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Female (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Female (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Female (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Female (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Female (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Adult drying its wings after eclosion (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (Upper Rhine Valley, late February 2020) [N] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva. They usually rest head down (Upper Rhine Valley, late February 2020) [N] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (Upper Rhine Valley, late February 2020) [N] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (northern Black Forest, 800m, late March 2020) [M] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (northern Black Forest, 800m, late March 2020) [M] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Half-grown larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva, last-instar larvae may be green quite rarely (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Larva (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: Pupa (e.l. rearing, Upper Rhine Valley, larva in February 2020) [S] Xestia castanea: The half-grown larvae are recorded sometimes numerously in such Calluna and Sarothamnus heathlands on sand in the early spring (Upper Rhine Valley, late February 2020) [N] Xestia castanea: The half-grown larvae are recorded sometimes numerously in such Calluna and Sarothamnus heathlands on sand in the early spring (Upper Rhine Valley, late February 2020) [N] Xestia castanea: The half-grown larvae are recorded sometimes numerously in such Calluna and Sarothamnus heathlands on sand in the early spring (Upper Rhine Valley, late February 2020) [N] Xestia castanea: In late April and early May the mature larvae are well concealed and active usually at night (Upper Rhine Valley, early May 2018) [N]

Host plants:
The larvae are polyphagous, but prefer Genista, Sarothamnus and Calluna.

Habitat:
Xestia castanea inhabits typically broom heathland, bushy sandy grasslands, open dry woodlands and in the South generally many dry and warm habitats.

Life cycle:
The moths occur between mid-August and October. The larvae hibernate still relative small and are active in the first spring (February/March) where they rest on the shoots of bromm or Calluna during daytime. In later instars they usually hide in the litter and are active in the night. They are mature between mid-April and late May.

Remarks:
Xestia castanea is generally widespread in Europa, but usually only local in Central Europe. It is also found in NW-Africa and parts of SW-Asia (Near East, Anatolia).



Xestia agathina | Xestia ashworthii | Xestia baja | Xestia c-nigrum | Xestia collina | Xestia ditrapezium | Xestia kollari | Xestia mejiasi | Xestia ochreago | Xestia rhomboidea | Xestia sexstrigata | Xestia triangulum | Xestia xanthographa 
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