Zerynthia polyxena

Southern festoon
Dorsal view
Lateral view
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Genus:	Zerynthia
Species:	Z. polyxena
Binomial name
Zerynthia polyxena (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
Synonyms
Papilio cassandra Geyer, 1828[1] Papilio creusa Meigen, 1829 Papilio hypermnestra Scopoli, 1763 Papilio hypsipyle Schulze, 1776 Papilio hypsipyle Fabricus, 1777 Zerynthia polyxena D., 1775 Zerynthia polyxena polyxena

Zerynthia polyxena, the southern festoon, is a striking butterfly belonging to the family Papilionidae of butterflies.

Mounted specimen

Illustration

Subspecies and forms

Subspecies and forms include: ^[1][2]

Distribution

Habitat of Z. polyxena, Regional Park of Capanne di Marcarolo (Piedmont), about 900 m. above sea level

Z. polyxena is widespread in the middle and southern Europe (southeastern France, Italy, Slovakia and Greece) covering all the Balkans and reaching the south of Kazakhstan and the Urals. Although they are widespread they occur only locally.^[3][2]

Habitat

These rare butterflies can be found in warm, sunny and open places such as grassy herb rich meadows, vineyards, river banks, wetlands, cultivated areas, brushy places, wasteland, rocky cliffs and karst terrains, ^[4] at an elevation of about 1,700 meters above sea level, but usually under 900 meters.

Description

Dorsal view

The southern festoon can reach a wingspan of 46–52 mm. ^[4] The females have slightly longer wings, usually lighter colored than males. The basic color of the wings is yellow, with a complicated pattern of several black bands and spots.

On the edges of the hindwings they have a black sinuous line with a series of blue and red warning spots to deter potential predators (aposematism). The body is dark brown and bears red patches on the sides of the abdomen.

This species is rather similar to Zerynthia rumina, Zerynthia cerisyi and Zerynthia cretica. ^[4] However this butterfly can be confused only with the Spanish festoon (Z. rumina). The differences are in the presence of blue on the hind wings of Z. polyxena and the relatively lower amount of red on its forewings as compared to Z. rumina. The ranges of these two species overlap only in southeast France.

The caterpillars of Z. polyxena are up to 35 millimeters long. They are initially black, then they are yellowish with six rows of fleshy orange and black spikes all over the body.

• 
  Male
• 
  Male bottom
• 
  Female
• 
  Female bottom

Biology

It is an early spring butterfly. Adults fly from April to June in a single brood. ^[4] The adults are active for no more than three weeks. The females lay their eggs singly or in small groups at the bottom of the host plants. The eggs are spherical and whitish at first, bluish colored before hatching. The caterpillars feed on birthworts (mainly (Aristolochia clematitis, Aristolochia rotunda, Aristolochia pistolochia, Aristolochia pallida).^[4][5] The special food of the larvae provides the toxic substances which then also go to the adults, making them inedible. The young caterpillars feed at first on flowers and young shoots, while after the second molt they feed on leaves. The pupae stay linked to a support by a silk belt for wintering and the new adults hatch the next spring.

Life cycle of Zerynthia polyxena

Eggs

Young caterpillar

Caterpillar on Aristolochia species

Imago

Bibliography

• Capinera, J. L. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Entomology, 4 voll., 2nd Ed., Dordrecht, Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 2008, pp. lxiii + 4346, ISBN 978-1-4020-6242-1, LCCN 2008930112, OCLC 837039413.
• Dapporto, L., Speciation in Mediterranean refugia and post-glacial expansion of Zerynthia polyxena (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae). J. Zool. Syst. Evol. Res., in press.doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0469.2009.00550.x
• Higgins, L.G, Riley, N.D, 1970; A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Europe
• Kükenthal, W. (Ed.), Handbuch der Zoologie / Handbook of Zoology, Band 4: Arthropoda - 2. Hälfte: Insecta - Lepidoptera, moths and butterflies, in Kristensen, N. P. (a cura di), Handbuch der Zoologie, Fischer, M. (Scientific Editor), Teilband/Part 35: Volume 1: Evolution, systematics, and biogeography, Berlino, New York, Walter de Gruyter, 1999 [1998], pp. x + 491, ISBN 978-3-11-015704-8, OCLC 174380917.
• Nazari, V., Sperling, F.A.H. 2007; Mitochondrial DNA divergence and phylogeography in western Palaearctic Parnassiinae (Lepidoptera:Papilionidae): how many species are there? Insect Syst Evol 38:121–138.
• Scoble, M. J., The Lepidoptera: Form, Function and Diversity, 2nd ed., London, Oxford University Press & Natural History Museum, 2011 [1992], pp. xi, 404, ISBN 978-0-19-854952-9, LCCN 92004297, OCLC 25282932.
• Stehr, F. W. (Ed.), Immature Insects, 2 vol., 2nd ed. Dubuque, Iowa, Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co., 1991 [1987], pp. ix, 754, ISBN 978-0-8403-3702-3, LCCN 85081922, OCLC 13784377.

External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Zerynthia polyxena

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zerynthia polyxena.

• Euro Butterflies by Matt Rowlings
• Schmetterling-raupe.de
• Butterfly Corner
• Catalogue of life
• DK – Pocket Nature

References