Xestia agathina (Duponchel, 1827) Species
Last modified: May 7, 2024, 7:45 p.m.
A very rare and local species in Belgium, mainly known from the Kempen and the extreme south of the country.
This species is considered Near Threatened according to the IUCN Red List category for Flanders 2023.
Details
- Classification
- Family: Noctuidae > Subfamily: Noctuinae > Tribus: Noctuini > Genus: Xestia > Subgenus: Xestia > Species: Xestia agathina
- Vernacular names
- Late heide-uil (NL), Heath rustic (EN), La Noctuelle agathine (FR), Heidekraut-Bodeneule (DE)
- First mention in Belgium
- De Sélys-Longchamps E. 1844. Énumération des insectes Lépidoptères de la Belgique. — Mémoires de la Société royale des Sciences de Liége 2: 1–35. On page 11 (as Chersotis ? agathina Bdv.). view page
- Status
-
Native
Distribution
Imago
Wingspan 28–36 mm.
Museum specimens
Specimens in nature
Caterpillar
Bionomics
The species hibernates as a small larva and pupates among plant debris or loose earth.
The adults come to flowers, light, and sugar.
No pictures yet!
Flight periods
The adults fly from mid-August till the end of September.
Observed on
- Host plant (species):
- Calluna vulgaris and Erica tetralix
The larva lives on Calluna vulgaris or Erica tetralix.
Habitat
It prefers old dense heather vegetation with leaf mosses.
