Papilionidae: Parnassiinae

06947 Eastern Festoon Zerynthia cerisy, (Godart, 1824)

BF -- (ABH56.000)

Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 14th June 2013. Male.
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 14th June 2013. Male.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 14th June 2013. Male.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
 2010-2016
 2017
 2018
 2019
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 14th June 2010.
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 14th June 2010.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 13th June 2013
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 13th June 2013
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 27th June 2012, male threatening display.
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 27th June 2012, male threatening display.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 13th June 2013.
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 13th June 2013.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Kresna Gorge, 12th May 2014. Male.
Kresna Gorge, 12th May 2014. Male.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Studen Kladenets, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 15th July 2013 Female.
Studen Kladenets, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 15th July 2013 Female.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 27th June 2012, female.
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 27th June 2012, female.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 27th June 2012, female.
Arda valley, Eastern Rhodopi Mtns., 27th June 2012, female.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Elashnitsa, Mesta valley, SW Bulgaria, 13th July 2013.
Elashnitsa, Mesta valley, SW Bulgaria, 13th July 2013.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Cherven, Western Rhodopi Mtns., 30th June 2012.
Cherven, Western Rhodopi Mtns., 30th June 2012.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Kresna Gorge, 30th June 2008. Final instar.
Kresna Gorge, 30th June 2008. Final instar.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Kresna Gorge, 4th July 2009. Final instar.
Kresna Gorge, 4th July 2009. Final instar.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies


General Information

In Europe this species is restricted to SE Europe, mainly the Balkan Peninsula. Outside the Balkans it occurs on Crete, the western half of Turkey and other countries in western Asia.

 

In Bulgaria it is a widespread and sometimes locally common species occurring at lower altitudes.

 

Like those of the Southern Festoon (Zerynthia polyxena), the larvae are often easy to spot on their fooplant, where (though they are often sitting in the shade of the leaves of their hostplant), they are poorly camouflaged. Presumably they rely on their toxicity to protect them from predation. They pupate away from their foodplant on the more substantial stems of woody plants etc.

 

They are easy to separate from the larvae of their earlier flying cogener the Southern Festoon as they lack the dark tips to their spiky tubercles. For comparison see photos of larvae under both species here.

Overwinters as Overwinters as a pupa.

Foodplant(s): Birthwort (Aristolochia)
Flying: A single generation flying in a prolonged emergence from May to early July
UK Presence: Resident
National status: Least Concern

Habitat

Warm bushy places, and waste places amongst agricultural land where it's foodpland Birthwort grows.

 

Regional Information

Recorded in 34 (1.8%) of the 1900 10km squares of Bulgaria.

Last recorded in June 2019

Recorded date range (Adult): 06 May to 07 July

Recorded date range (Larva/Leafmine): 13 July to 13 July

Similar Species
nr Primorsko, Black Sea coast. 12th May 2019. Male.
nr Primorsko, Black Sea coast. 12th May 2019. Male.
 Photo © Nick Greatorex-Davies
Southern Festoon Zerynthia polyxena

Least Concern