Page 334 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Drepanidae
DISTRIBUTION Southern Greece, southern Balkans, Ukraine,
and Asia Minor to Pakistan
HABITAT Warm, dry, open scrub
HOST PLANTS Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa),
plum (Prunus spp.), and apple (Malus spp.)
NOTE Caterpillar of a recently recognized species resembling others
of its genus
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated

ADULT WINGSPAN
¾–
⁄ in (19–24 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
⁄ –⅝ in (14–16 mm) CILIX ASIATICA
EASTERN CHINESE
CHARACTER
332
O. BANG-HAAS, 1907

The Eastern Chinese Character caterpillar hatches and feeds on
much the same range of host plants as the very similar Chinese
Character (Cilix glaucata), of which, until 1987, it was thought
to be an eastern subspecies. However, the Eastern Chinese
Character is restricted to dry, hot places, and so has a more
southerly distribution than the Chinese Character. Cilix asiatica
Actual size
larvae can be found from May to late October, and there are
likely to be three broods annually in most places. Like that of
the Chinese Character, the pupation site is probably leaf litter
or a bark crevice, with the species overwintering in this stage.

The Eastern Chinese Character species was rst found in Europe
The Eastern Chinese Character caterpillar is (in the Crimea) in the late 1990s. The adults closely resemble
generally light brown with little contrast and a Chinese Character moths but with four gray spots near the edge
distinct ne, complex, vein-like pattern. The tail
spike is quite long, and the white markings near of the forewing instead of the Chinese Character’s six. Further
the tail end are not especially distinct.
very similar species (at both caterpillar and adult stages), Cilix
hispanica and C. algirica, occur farther west in southern Europe.