Page 613 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

MOTH CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Noctuidae
DISTRIBUTION Mountain ranges in Europe, including the Pyrenees, Alps,
Apennines, Carpathians, and Caucasus Mountains
HABITAT Dry and sunny rocky slopes, scree, and outcrops up to
5,900 ft (1,800 m) elevation

HOST PLANTS Bell ower (Campanula spp.)
NOTE Alpine caterpillar that is found on rocky mountain slopes
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but classed as endangered in parts of its range

ADULT WINGSPAN
1½–1⅝ in (38–42 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH

1⅜–2 in (35–50 mm)
CUCULLIA CAMPANULAE
CUCULLIA CAMPANULAE 611
FREYER, 1831

Cucullia campanulae caterpillars hatch from eggs laid on the
leaves of the host plant, which is the source of the species’
scienti c name. The larvae are active over the summer months,

from June to September, feeding on clumps of bellflowers
growing among the rocks. At higher altitudes, mostly in the
Alps, they are seen only in August. Parasitism of the caterpillars
by parasitic wasps is common, and healthy, unparasitized
individuals tend to be found hiding on the ground or
under plants during the day, only emerging at night to feed.
The caterpillars overwinter under rocks, which is where
pupation takes place.

This alpine moth is on the wing from late May to July, and there
is a single generation. The species has been endangered by
the loss of its habitat due to reforestation, changes in farming The Cucullia campanulae caterpillar is white
with many black spots and a lateral, broken,
management from traditional to more intensive cultivation, pale yellow stripe just below the spiracles.
There are widely spaced short hairs across
overgrazing, and new tourist developments in alpine areas. the body. The legs are black.

Actual size