X-Nico

4 unusual facts about Knautia arvensis


Elham

These sites often support many typical chalk downland species such as Common Milkwort (Polygala vulgaris), Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis)and Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor) as well as orchids such as Fragrant (Gymnadenia conopsea), Common Spotted (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) and Pyramidal (Anacamptis pyramidalis).

Knautia arvensis

It is also the foodplant of the Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth Hemaris tityus.

It is occasionally used by the Marsh Fritillary as a foodplant instead of its usual foodplant of Devils Bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis).

Zygaena lonicerae

They suck nectar of the preferred blue violet flowers, such as on field scabious (Knautia arvensis), Dove Pincushion Flower (Scabiosa columbaria), meadow knapweed (Centaurea jacea), panicle knapweed (Centaurea stoebe), creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense), Bulbous thistle (Cirsium tuberosum) and ring thistle (Carduus).


Andrena hattorfiana

Andrena hattorfiana is an oligolectic species, feeding its young only on pollen of a few species of Dipsacaceae (Knautia arvensis, Scabiosa columbaria, Centaurea species).


see also