Cucullia santolinae

Cucullia santolinae is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is found in southern Europe, northern Africa, Turkey, the Caucasus region and Israel.

Cucullia santolinae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Noctuoidea
Family:	Noctuidae
Genus:	Cucullia
Species:	C. santolinae
Binomial name
Cucullia santolinae Rambur, 1834

Warren (1914) states : C. santolinae Rambur (= wredowi Costa) (27 c). Like lactucae Cucullia lactucae but smaller and with narrower wings; characterised by the whitish patch in the region of the stigmata and a whitish blotch between the inner and outer lines on submedian fold; veins and a submedian streak finely black; a curved dark streak below end of cell represents the reniform stigma : a black streak above vein 4 and a shorter one below vein 2 before termen ;hindwing uniformly brown. A South European species found in S. France, Switzerland, Andalusia, Corsica, Italy and Algeria — Larva dirty green or reddish, with some white spots representing the dorsal line; on each segment at the sides some violet streaks; venter pale with black wavy lines; head pale; feeds on Artemisia arborea. ^[1]

Adults are on wing from December to January. There is one generation per year.

The larvae feed on the flowers and seeds of Artemisia arborea and Artemisia campestris. Host plants: larvae In the Levant they probably feed on Artemisia monosperma.