Xylocampa areola (Esper, 1789)


Xylocampa areola: Adult (e.l. Provence, larva in April 2013) [S] Xylocampa areola: Adult (e.l. Provence, larva in April 2013) [S] Xylocampa areola: Adult (e.l. Provence, larva in April 2013) [S] Xylocampa areola: Adult (e.l. Provence, larva in April 2013) [S] Xylocampa areola: Adult (e.l. Provence, larva in April 2013) Xylocampa areola: Adult (e.l. Provence, larva in April 2013) [S] Xylocampa areola: Adult (e.l. Provence, larva in April 2013) [S] Xylocampa areola: Young Larva (Col de Vence, Nice, France, April 2012) [S] Xylocampa areola: Young larva (Massif Ste. Victoire, Provence, April 2011) [M] Xylocampa areola: Half-grown larva (e.l. Massif Ste. Victoire, Provence, 2011) [S] Xylocampa areola: Half-grown larva (e.l. Massif Ste. Victoire, Provence, 2011) [S] Xylocampa areola: Half-grown larva (e.l. Massif Ste. Victoire, Provence, 2011) [S] Xylocampa areola: Larva (Sardinia, May 2012) [M] Xylocampa areola: Larva (e.l. Massif Ste. Victoire, Provence, 2011) [S] Xylocampa areola: Larva (e.l. Massif Ste. Victoire, Provence, 2011) [S] Xylocampa areola: Larva (e.l. Massif Ste. Victoire, Provence, 2011) [S] Xylocampa areola: Larva (e.l. Massif Ste. Victoire, Provence, 2011) [S] Xylocampa areola: Larva (e.l. Massif Ste. Victoire, Provence, 2011) [S] Xylocampa areola: Larva (e.l. Massif Ste. Victoire, Provence, 2011) [S] Xylocampa areola: Larva (Provence, Rians. late April 2013) [M] Xylocampa areola: Larva (e.l. Massif Ste. Victoire, Provence, 2011) [S] Xylocampa areola: Larva (e.l. Massif Ste. Victoire, Provence, 2011) [S] Xylocampa areola: Pupa (e.l. Provence, larva in April 2013) [S] Xylocampa areola: Larval habitat on the Col de Vence (Nice, France) in April 2012: Lonicera in dry shrub [N] Xylocampa areola: Habitat in the Montagne Ste. Victoire in April 2011 [N]

Host plants:
Tha larva lives on Lonicera species, especially noosing species such as Lonicera periclymenum.

Habitat:
Xylocampa areola inhabits dry, bright woodland, garigues, dry shrub with Lonicera and similar places.

Life cycle:
The adults hibernate already quite developed in the pupal skin and fly early between January/February and mid-May. I observed the young caterpillars already in April in Southern France (Montagne Ste. Victoire, Col de Vence) and in Sardinia in May 2012. They still live until mid-June and then prepare their pupal shelter on the soil.

Endangerment factors:
Xylocampa areola is locally endangered in the north due to forestal intensification. In the south, it is still quite common.

Remarks:
In Europe, Xylocampa areola occurs from Spain and Portugal to Southern Scandinavia and Ireland across the western part of Central Europe (France, Germany, parts of Italy incl. Sardinia).



Xylocampa mustapha 
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