Wing span: 42–50 mm
Flight period: in one extended generation from April to June
Larval host plants: species from the Aristolochia genus (Aristolochia)
The Spanish Festoon (Zerynthia polyxena) is a medium-sized butterfly from the swallowtail family. Its pale yellow wings are adorned with a distinctive pattern of dark brown to black spots, lines and zigzags. This is complemented by dark red color on the underside of the wings and along the sides of the body. On the outer edge of the hindwings, in addition to the red spots, one can observe blurred patterns of light blue eyespots. A characteristic deeply undulating pattern that runs along the outer edge of the wings gives its wings a jagged appearance.
The Spanish Festoon favors warmer areas and in our country is considered a fairly rare, locally distributed species. We will observe it in light deciduous forests and on their edges, on overgrown meadows, and along living hedgerows, where various Aristolochia species grow, on which the caterpillars feed in the larval stage.
The Spanish Festoon is listed on the Red List of endangered butterflies of Slovenia and is also protected by law. For the species, strict protection is required (Annex IV of the Habitats Directive), and it has also been recognised in Europe.
