Last modified: April 26, 2024, 12:44 p.m.
A common species in the northern part of Belgium, less common in the south.
Native
At first, the larva feeds on the seeds of the food plant, preferably large plants. Later on it enters the stem and feeds on the pith, hibernating when nearly full-grown, often several caterpillars in one stem. Hibernation in the stem, near its circular exit-hole.
The adults rest on thistle-heads in the evening and come to light.
The adults fly from the end of May till the end of July.
The larva feeds on Cirsium vulgare, C. eriophorum, Onopordum or Arctium lappa.