Zerynthia rumina (Spanish Festoon, Westlicher Osterluzeifalter, La Proserpine)

Zerynthia rumina, also called Spanish Festoon or Westlicher Osterluzeifalter is a very charming butterfly from Palaearctic ecozone (Europe). The first description was in 1758 by Linnaeus. With a wingspan of 3.5 – 4.5 cm the Spanish Festoon is a small member of the family PAPILIONIDAE. The butterfly is yellow with black and red spots and a black sinuous line at the margin.

Photos for easy identification

: Photo © by Mario Maier (Mario.Maier@butterflies.de)

: Photo © by Mario Maier (Mario.Maier@butterflies.de)

These are nice photos of Zerynthia rumina (Spanish Festoon,Westlicher Osterluzeifalter). Zerynthia rumina is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE from Palaearctic (Europe).

Description

The forewings are yellow with many black and red spots. There are a black band with yellow spots at the margin. The viens are black. There is a black area around the body.
The underside is white to yellowish with many black and red spots.

The hind wings are yellow. There is a black area around the body. In the middle of the wing there are some black spot. There are a chain of red spots going backwards. At the margin there is a black sinuous line.
The underside is white to yellowish. It is a copy of upside, but there are some differences. Some spots and also the sinuous line are red.

The body is black, but there are white and red spots on the side.

Sex differences: None

Distribution

The Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia rumina) is a very charming butterfly of the Palaearctic ecozone (Europe). The distribution extend from the South and West of Europe (Spain, Italy, France) to the North of Africa (Marocco, Algeria).
Because of the rarity of larval food, the Spanish Festoon are not common.

: This world map shows the ecozones in which this butterfly is distributed.

Flight period

The flight period of the Spanish Festoon is from March to May.

Larval food

Aristolochiaceen

General information

The first description of this butterfly was in 1758 by Linnaeus. Because of the high variability of this species, there are many subspecies.

Zerynthia rumina africana [Stichel, 1907]
Zerynthia rumina africana f. derubescens
Zerynthia rumina africana f. semitristis
Zerynthia rumina tarrieri
Zerynthia rumina tarrieri f. canteneri
Zerynthia rumina tarrieri f. paucipunctata

The caterpillar is withe with many black and orange thorny warts. The pupa has a silken girdl. This species overwinters as pupa.
The number and position of the red spots are very variable like Parnassius apollo [Linnaeus, 1758] (Apollo, Apollofalter, l´Apollon).

The distribution of Southern Festoon overlap with the distributions of Spanisch Festoon (Zerynthia rumina)
The following differentiators are very useful to differ these similar species.

The Southern Festoon has blue spots on hind wings.
The Spanish Festoon has red spots on upside.

Protection provisions / Red List

CITES: (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora):

-no entry- (as at 23.06.2005)
EU regulation on trading with species of wild Fauna and Flora

-no entry- (as at 19.08.2005)
IUCN Red List of threatened species:

-no entry- (as at 2004) (see: www.redlist.org/)
Red List of endangered species of Austria:

-unrepresented- (see: www.roteliste.at/)
Regulation of the Viennese regional government:

-unrepresented- (see: www.wien.gv.at/recht/landesrecht-wien/rechtsvorschriften/html/l4800200.htm)