Showing posts with label SPANISH FESTOON BUTTERFLY (Zerynthia rumina). Show all posts
Showing posts with label SPANISH FESTOON BUTTERFLY (Zerynthia rumina). Show all posts
Monday, 11 March 2019
Monday, 25 February 2019
Saturday, 15 April 2017
14-4-2017 GIBRALTAR - SPANISH FESTOON BUTTERFLY (Zerynthia rumina)
Zerynthia rumina, the Spanish festoon, is a butterfly belonging to the family Papilionidae. It is a widespread species in Iberia and frequents most habitats.
It is found in North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula and southern France.
Zerynthia rumina is an extremely striking species. In south east France it can be confused with the southern festoon (Zerynthia polyxena). The two can be told apart by the presence of blue on the hindwing of the southern festoon.
The Spanish festoon also has extensive red on the forewings.
The flight period is generally in April and May with the possibility of a very small second brood in September.
Its size is 40-45 mm wingspan
Prefers calcareous hillsides with low, abundant vegetation
Altitude is up to 2,200 metres
It develops in a single generation between February and June, and in coastal areas it has a second generation in autumn.
It perches in the sun on the ground and on wild flowers
Host plant Aristolochia, A. pistolochia, A. rotunda, A. longa, Aristolochia baetica , A. fontanesi
Although it is not in danger in most of its flight territory, there are two endemic subspecies that are close to extinction if immediate protective measures are not taken. One of them is cantabricae Gómez-Bustillo (between the southwest of Santander, Palencia and Burgos) and the other, minima Gerhandinger (El Regajal, Aranjuez-Madrid) (Source MMA)
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