Butterflies of
Europe
Spanish Festoon
Zerynthia
rumina
LINNAEUS, 1758
Family -
PAPILIONIDAE
subfamily -
PARNASSIINAE
Tribe - LUEHDORFIINI
subtribe -
Zerynthia rumina
Nerja, Andalucia, Spain
© Peter Bruce-Jones
Introduction
The
genus Zerynthia comprises of just 2
species, rumina and
polyxena. They are distantly related
to Parnassius, and much more closely
related to Luedorfia,
Sericinus,
Allancastria and the glorious
Bhutanitis species of temperate Asia.
Zerynthia rumina
is found in Spain, Portugal, southern
France, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
Zerynthia rumina
Nerja, Andalucia, Spain
© Peter Bruce-Jones
Habitats
This butterfly
inhabits hot dry scrubby areas, flowery meadows and gorges,
typically at elevations between sea level and about 1000m although
it has been recorded as high as 1500m.
Lifecycle
The eggs are laid in small
clusters on the underside of Aristolochia leaves.
The larvae feed openly and rest on the upper surface of the leaves. When fully
frown they are brown, with a pair of broken black dorsal lines, and prominent
red dorsal and lateral tubercles, each adorned with spiky setae. The chrysalis
is straw coloured with dark mottling and dark dorsal and lateral lines. It is
thin with a blunt head and tapered tail. It is usually attached vertically to a
stem, but is sometimes formed on tree trunks or boulders. Hibernation is in the
pupal stage.
Adult behaviour
The adults have
a delicate flight, pausing frequently to nectar at flowers. In the
evenings they go to roost on bushes, with their abdomens arched as
shown in the image below.
Zerynthia rumina
Nerja, Andalucia, Spain © Peter Bruce-Jones
|
