Zerynthia polyxena
Festoon ( Zerynthia polyxena )
The Festoon ( Zerynthia polyxena ), called by some authors Southern Festoon, is a butterfly of the family of Swallowtail Butterfly ( Papilionidae ).
- 2.1 food of the caterpillars
- 2.2 Flight times and caterpillars
- 4.1 Notes and references
- 4.2 Literature
Features
The moths reach a wingspan of 52-56 millimeters, with the females slightly longer wings than the males possess. The ground color of the wings is yellow, but they have a complicated pattern of different black bands and spots. Striking is the wavy lined wing edge. On the hind wings red and blue dots are added to the inside of the shaft drawing, but these can be absent in some animals. Female moths are slightly lighter colored in the rule, than males. The body of the butterfly is dark brown and carries on the sides of the abdomen red spots.
The caterpillars are up to 35 millimeters long. They have a silver gray - greenish to light brown or red color and have black dots. They furthermore carry six rows of orange, spines occupied, fleshy spines.
Similar Species
- Spanish Festoon ( Zerynthia rumina )
- Balkan Festoon ( Zerynthia cerisyi )
Occurrence
The animals come from the middle southern Europe (south-east France and Italy) and Southeast Europe east to north- western Kazakhstan and in the south of the Urals. They are found up to about 1,700 meters above sea level, but usually below 900 meters. They live in warm, sunny, dry, open places such as in vineyards, river banks and in karst terrain. They are relatively high spatial fidelity. Although they are widely used, but only locally occurring. In eastern Austria very locally occurring, in Vienna and southeastern area.
Food of the caterpillars
The caterpillars feed in Central Europe of Common Aristolochia ( Aristolochia clematitis ) otherwise by other pipes Flower ( Aristolochia ).
Flight times and caterpillars
The moths fly in one generation from late March to early June, the caterpillars come depending on the altitude from May to July before.
Development
The females lay their eggs singly or stored in loose, small groups on the underside of forage crops. The eggs are spherical and at first whitish, bluish - perlmutterfarben before hatching. The young caterpillars feed initially only the flowers and young shoots, from the second molt also leaves. They are initially colored black, first, the thorns color orange. The caterpillars bask often, sitting on the top, but grown caterpillars are sitting on the leaf underside. Pupation takes place on stems, bark or stones in a slim, light brown to gray belt doll. However, the belt thread runs not centered but includes two thorns on the head part. The pupa overwinters, the moths hatch until the next spring.