Habitat: Warm, dry, often dense, mixed scrub with many host plants, often on hillsides.

Appearance: Mainly found in Mediterranean coastal regions, as well as in isolated areas in the interior of Spain and France. Absent from central Italy to Istria. Present in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Greece.

Flying time: Two generations. May – June and mid-August – October.

Characteristics: Wingspan 70 – 90 mm.

Life cycle: The host plant is mainly the Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo). The female lays smooth, spherical, yellow eggs measuring approximately 2 mm in size. These eggs are deposited on the upper side of the leaves of the host plant. Hibernates as a caterpillar. The caterpillars feed on juices from rotting fruit, tree sap and excrement, and are therefore often found near rubbish bins rather than in their natural habitat, the Mediterranean region.