Southern Festoon

Appearance

The Southern Festoon can reach a wingspan of 60–80 mm. The females have slightly longer wings, usually lighter colored than males. The basic color of the wings is yellow, but they have a complicated pattern of several black bands and spots. On the edges of the hindwings they have a series of blue and red warning spots to deter potential predators. The body is dark brown and bears red patches on the sides of the abdomen.

This butterfly can be confused only with the Spanish Festoon . The differences are in the presence of blue on the hind wings of ''Z. polyxena'' and the relatively lower amount of red on its forewings as compared to ''Z. rumina''.



The caterpillars of ''Z. polyxena'' are up to 35 millimeters long. They are initially black, then they are yellowish with six rows of fleshy orange and black spikes all over the body. They feed on birthworts , mainly . The special food of the larvae provides the toxic substances which then also go to the adults, making them inedible.

Distribution

''Zerynthia polyxena'' is widespread in the middle and southern Europe covering all the Balkans and reaching the south of Kazakhstan and the Urals. Although they are widespread they occur only locally.

Habitat

These butterflies can be found in warm, sunny and open places such as vineyards, river banks, wetlands, cultivated areas, brushy places, wasteland, rocky cliffs and karst terrains, at an elevation of about 1,700 meters above sea level, but usually under 900 meters.