Charaxes jasius

Tailed Pasha ( Charaxes jasius )

The Two-Tailed Pasha ( Charaxes jasius ) is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae ( Nymphalidae ). It is the largest European butterflies.

• 2.1 dissemination

• 3.1 Notes and references

Description

Imago

The bright dark brown wing tops have a wide yellow-brown edge binding and the same color spots in the Postdiskalregion. On the tops of the sporulated hind wings is a row of blue spots in the cells 1c - 4 The underside is heavily patterned with stripes and spots. The female is slightly larger than the male and reaches a forewing length of about 40 mm and a wingspan of over nine inches. The hind wings each have two tails. The moth is not confused with other species.

Larva

The caterpillars are green and have a bright, yellow side stripes. They resemble snails, as their head capsule four carries upward, reddish - brown horns, of which the middle two particularly stand out. The body end is broad and slightly sickle-shaped indented towards the body. Even the little caterpillars grouped they have external form, just the color is more yellowish in the first stage.

Way of life

The strawberry tree moth flies in two generations from May to June and from August to September. The moth is a good and fast flyer and can be observed for hours when flying through his territory. Conspecifics and even small birds are vigorously marketed. When he sits down he works almost always along the wings.

The caterpillar lives on the Western Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo ). The caterpillars have a resting-place, where they spin on the center of the leaf surface a dream. At this resting place, which in the course of development often can be changed, reverse the beads back into the feeding breaks, as they usually migrate to feed on other sheets. The moth loves rotting fruit, sweat and feces. In September, he can often suck when overripe, rotten figs ( Ficus ) or other fruits watching.

The yellowish, 2 mm eggs are stored either on the lower or upper side of the leaves. The caterpillars pupate in their food plant. The greenish- white doll which is regularly colored oval is relatively small compared to the large of the moth.

Dissemination

The distribution of the strawberry tree moth is strongly coupled to the spread of the Strawberry Tree, the food plant of the caterpillar. In contrast to the food plant that tolerates up to -15 ° C survive the overwintering caterpillars no longer periods of frost. The Two-Tailed Pasha comes in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean ago to the central Africa. In Europe and North Africa includes the dissemination of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Tuscany, continue west Portugal, the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Corfu, Crete, Samos, Ikaria, Chios and Rhodes. There are isolated domestic populations in Spain (Huelva, Malaga, Salamanca and Madrid ) and France (Provence to Aveyron, Lozère and Ardèche). He lacks the northern Adriatic coast. In the vertical spread he reaches heights of up to 1200 meters, in the High Atlas of up to 2400 meters. It is found mostly in partially shaded areas, such as thickets and forest edges. But it also occurs in urban areas.

Swell