Distribution:

An endangered species, occurring in scattered populations alongside the Mediterranean from Portugal and Spain east to Asia Minor and into Central Asia.  

Wingspan:

in between 8 and10  cm. 

Season:

one (June) to two flights (August/Sdeptember). In captivity and when the pupae are kept too warm, moths can emerge as late as the end of October.

Food plants:

most European Euphorbia species, even herbaceous once like Euphorbia peplus. The commonly available  garden varieties will do just fine.

Rearing:

Very easy, suitable for newcomers. Keep early stages in well ventilated plastic containers and move to a netted cage when older. Prefers warm and dry rearing conditions, but not hot like some other Mediterranean species. Fast growing and ready to pupate in around  four weeks. The caterpillars grow large and require significant amounts of food. Keep this in mind when you only have a limited number of plants available. The pupal stage during warmer  months is short (2 to 3 weeks).

Difficulties:

eggs develop very fast when warm and can hatch in four days, which can complicate obtaining live stock