Butterfly Podalirius got its name in honor of the famous ancient Greek doctor Podalirius, a hero of myths. This species belongs to the family of sailboats.
Habitat
In search of food, a butterfly flies along the slopes of ravines, foothills, glades, forest edges. It can fly into gardens and parks, rich in flowering trees and shrubs.
Due to the fact that sailboats (butterflies) migrate long distances in search of housing, they can be found in North Africa, the Near and Middle East, the Caucasus, as well as in hot regions of Europe. In the warmer months, these insects can be seen in Scandinavia and the British Isles.
In Crimea, the butterfly lives in the mountains and in the flat territories. She gives preference to areas with shrubby vegetation.
Butterfly Podalirium: Description
Her abdomen is narrow and long. The forehead of the butterfly is very lowered. The pattern on the wings, the span of which reaches 7–9 cm, is the same in females and males.
The main color is cream, on which there are three long and two short transverse wedge-shaped strips of a grayish tint. The front wings are 3 to 5 cm in size along the edge trimmed with a black frill. On the hind wings are black tails, as well as two gray strips of wedge-shaped and bright blue spots. The edge of the wings is bordered by stripes of brown and black in color, on which there is one blue speck. Females of these butterflies are larger than males.
Varieties of Podalirium
The color of the wings of the insect may vary depending on the subspecies.
Butterfly podalirium resembles a ship sailing in the water. It can be found in alpine meadows. Distinctive features of this type of butterfly:
- wide stripes of black color;
- small wing size;
- relatively short ponytail on them.
Several more subspecies are known:
- Iphiclides podalirius virgatus. Has a snow-white color of wings.
- Iphiclides podalirius feisthamelli. The subspecies live in Portugal and Spain. The males have pale yellow front wings with an orange-yellow border.
Sailboat Swallowtail
This butterfly, unlike podalirium, has a different wing pattern and tail length. This name was given to the insect by the Swedish scientist C. Linnaeus. The first generation of butterflies has a paler color. A dark pattern is visible on their wings. In very hot weather, scientists noted the emergence of smaller individuals. The insects of the summer generation are distinguished by a brighter color and larger size.
Swallowtail forms more than 30 subspecies. It belongs to the same family as podaliria. In the northern part of Europe, sailboats (butterflies) develop mainly in one generation. They fly from July to August. In the south of Europe, two generations are distinguished, which fly from April to October. The life expectancy of an adult is approximately three weeks.
Life cycle and reproduction
The development of the butterfly (podalirium) occurs in two generations. The first is born after May 10 and flies actively during the month, the second from July to August.
The male attracts the female with beautiful bright wings, fluttering next to her. Before laying eggs, the female carefully looks for the plant from which it will be fed, and lays one egg on the back of the leaf. Butterfly eggs are dark green in color with a reddish tip bordered by a pair of yellowish rings. After a short period of time, their color changes, becoming bluish with a black pattern. The shape of the egg is slightly spherical. The embryo is located in a reticular fragile shell. From six to seven days, the ripening stage lasts. Throughout her life, the female lays up to one hundred and twenty eggs.
The caterpillar has an oblong shape, its length is approximately 3 cm. Development takes place from May to April next year. Caterpillars feed on leaves early in the morning and at night, nibbling them along the edges. In the afternoon, they are at rest, holding onto the leaves with a woven pad. At times of danger, special glands emit a specific odor that repels predators.
For pupation, the caterpillars spread over vast distances in search of an appropriate place. This process occurs in dense shrubs, near rhizomes or in crevices of tree trunks. The summer pupa has a greenish color with small veins that resemble the leaves of a fodder plant. Winter - a dark yellow or brown shade, disguised as a dry leaf. Pupa spend the winter period by attaching themselves to a feed plant.
