The specific epithet plantaginea may have originated from the plant's resemblance to the genus Plantago.
Plantago | Plantago maritima | Plantago lanceolata | Plantago ovata | Plantago major | Mined leaf of ''Plantago lanceolata |
The larvae feed on various low-growing plants, such as Plantago species (including Plantago major).
The larvae feed on various herbaceous plants, including Glebionis segetum, Lotus, Vicia faba, Plantago and Rumex
The larvae feed on various low-growing plants, including Saxifraga, Plantago, Rumex and Campanula species.
The caterpillars feed on a variety of herbaceous plants, mainly Dandelion (Taraxacum species), Plantains (Plantago species), Deadnettles (Lamium species), Yarrow (Achillea species), Blackberries (Rubus species), Nettles (Urtica species), Knapweeds (Centaurea species) and Strawberries (Fragaria species).
In captivity the larvae have been recorded feeding on Achillea millerfolium, Galatella linosyris, Centaurea scabiosa, Salvia pratensis, Plantago and Inula species.
The larvae feed on the leaves of various plants, including Plantago, Rumex, Fragaria, Stellaria, Lamium, Centaurea, Pulsatilla and Taraxacum species.
They over winter, and feed on various plants in spring, including Viola, Plantago, Crataegus, Prunus spinosa, Rubus idaeus and Quercus.