Xestia agathina (Duponchel, 1827) Species
Last modified: Jan. 1, 2024, 3:44 p.m.
A very rare and local species in Belgium, mainly known from the Kempen and the extreme south of the country.
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.
