About Apopestes spectrum (Esper, 1787)
Apopestes spectrum (Esper, 1787) is a large moth with a wingspan ranging from 74 to 82 mm. Its forewings are light brown with dark brown markings, including a dark spot in the postdiscal area near the inner edge. The hindwings are pale brown. Slender yellow caterpillars of this species have two black stripes and irregular black markings on each side, and their heads bear whitish and black dots. The chrysalis is reddish brown. This species is univoltine, meaning it produces one generation per year. Caterpillars are active and can be found from late April to June. They feed on plant species in the family Papilionaceae, including members of the genera Genista, Sarothamnus, Spaltium, Glycyrrhiza, and the species Retama raetam. Adult moths overwinter from July through March of the following year. This moth has a Mediterranean distribution. It occurs across a number of European countries: Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland. Its range also extends from Maghreb through western Turkey to Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan. In the valleys of the southern Alps, this moth inhabits warm areas at elevations up to approximately 800 meters.
