Archon apollinus
False Apollo ( Archon apollinus )
The False Apollo ( Archon apollinus ), sometimes also called Dutchman's pipe - Apollo or Greek Apollo, is a butterfly of the family of Swallowtail Butterfly ( Papilionidae ).
As the German name "Wrong Apollo" expresses the part of the name "Apollo" is misleading, because the type does not belong taxonomically to the Apollo butterflies ( genus Parnassius ), but the genus Archon. In appearance, however, moths and caterpillars resemble many Apollo butterfly species.
- 5.1 Notes and references
- 5.2 Literature
Features
Butterfly
The wingspan of the moth is about 54 to 60 millimeters. The basic color of all wings is mostly white -gray to milky white and dusted more or less gray. Since the scalation is relatively thin, the wings often act like parchment with longer flown copies. On the front wings, two broad, black, extending from the leading edge almost to the middle black webs emphasize clearly. The Submarginalbereich is slightly darkened and sometimes provided inside with some weakly developed reddish spots. On Saumrand the hind wings are in varying degrees of black, red and blue dots.
Caterpillar
Adults caterpillars are colored cylindrical and blackish. Specific type are four rows of round, red spots on the entire body length. Sometimes also some white spots are underneath.
Similar Species
The moths of the very similar, but slightly smaller type Archon apollinaris that occurs in eastern Anatolia and further east are clearly determined only by means of a genitalmorphologischen investigation.
The caterpillars of the Red Apollo ( Parnassius apollo ) differ in that they only show two rows of red spots and lack the white spots altogether.
Distribution and habitat
The distribution of falsity Apollo includes parts of Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran and Iraq. The species prefers colonized olive groves, vineyards, rocky slopes and forest edges.
Way of life
Main flight time of univoltinen moths are the months of March and April. The caterpillars feed on various species of flowers Pipe ( Aristolochia ). Younger caterpillars live sociable and protect yourself by a spun with silk threads sheet. The adult animals pupate in late summer in a slight cocoon on the ground. The pupa overwinters.
Subspecies
After genitalmorphologischen studies subdivided de Freina the type 1985 in several subspecies, which occur mainly in Turkey.
- Archon apollinus amasina
- Archon apollinus apollinus
- Archon apollinus drusica
- Archon apollinus forsteri
- Archon apollinus nikodemusi