I. podalirius
         P. machaon
         P. aegeria
         M. didyma
         M. cinxia
         K. roxelana
         P. rapae
         S. pyri
         M. stellatarum

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Unless otherwise noted, all pictures on this site were taken in Pelion, Greece, shown on the map below.

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View images of the Common Toad, an ugly, bulky, but really sweet creature with an interesting... nightlife.

  Veggie of the Month

Learn about the Salsify, a beautiful plant, with edible and medicinal properties, that is currently blooming in Pelion.

  Cool Destination

Visit Mourtias, one of Pelion's most picturesque beaches on the Aegean coast.

  Exciting Site

Tour the Volos Archaeological Museum, a pretty century-old building, whose exhibits span a historical period of over 10 millennia!

  Month's Wallpaper

Download a fantastic picture of a rickety jetty in Lefokastron, Pelion, taken by Huw Jones.

Loading image. Please wait Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) :: 2003/04/30 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) :: 2003/04/30 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) :: 2003/04/30 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) :: 2003/04/30 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos No image!

Scarce Swallowtail

Iphiclides podalirius

Despite its name, the Scarce Swallowtail is one of the commonest butterflies in the Pelion region and Greece, in general.

It is a large distinctive butterfly, with a wingspan of 65 - 80mm (2 1/2 to 3 1/8 in) and creamy white wings, boldly marked with black tiger-like stripes. Its hindwings feature long black tails and are adorned with blue crescents and red spots.

It is continuously on the wing, with no special territory, but it prefers the lowlands and only rarely flies in areas higher than 2,000 m (6,560 ft). Because of its foodplants it frequents orchards and flowery gardens.

Scarce Swallowtail  larvae are green, with small red dots and yellow stripes, while  pupae are usually green in summer and brown in winter, to match the color of the background.

By the way, the species name, podalirius, is derived from Podalirius, the highly esteemed son of  Asclepius, who, along with his brother Machaon, accompanied the Greek invading force to Troy, as a surgeon and medic.

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Fact Sheet

Larva Food Plants
Hawthorn, Blackthorn and various cultivated fruit trees.

Flight Period
May - September in the south (incl. Greece), early summer everywhere else.

Habitat
Warm, sheltered grassy/scrubby areas, fruit orchards and flowery gardens.

Distribution
A southern species, extending to N. Germany, but very local through most of the region.


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Taxonomy


Superkingdom: Eukaryota; Kingdom: Metazoa; Phylum: Arthropoda; Superclass: Hexapoda; Class: Insecta; Subclass: Neoptera; Order: Lepidoptera; Family: Papilionidae ; Genus: Iphiclides; Species: podalirius

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