Posted by Michael Becker on 01-07-2009 20:46
#6
Hello John,
again thank you for your answer.
I think yours is Cylindrotoma distinctissima, unless you have more species in Germany.
According to the Fauna Europaea there are only two species in Europe: distincitissima and nigriventris, and the latter is east-palearctic (Finland, Russia) and absent in middle Europe.
It says for C. distinctissima: Larvae free-living on the leaves of Caltha, Viola, Stellaria, Anemone, Petasites and Chrysosplenium, in marshy woodland.
It could have been a Stellaria species, on which I found it. Myosoton is closely related. Now in the box in the kitchen I tried Stellaria media from my garden and the larva eats it.
Light green, dark dorsally. Posterior spiracles dorsal, no obvious spiracular disc. Length 20 mm.
Ok, the larvae grows and is now more than a centimeter. Color is ok. The thing with the spiracular disks I don't understand.
Pupae hang head downward from plants, the cast larval skin retained at base of pupa.
If I succeed in growing it, I will take photos of the pupa and post it and the adult to the gallery too.
Greetings,
Michael