''Papilio alexanor'', the Alexanor or southern swallowtail, is a butterfly species in the Papilionidae or swallowtails. The insect has a wingspan of 62–70 mm. It flies from April to July in a single generation, in mountainous regions (1700 m) of Europe, Asia Minor, the Balkans, and Asia ( Anatolia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan to west Tian-Shan). Stamps of Azerbaijan, 2009-869

Description

''Papilio alexanor'' is similar to '' Papilio machaon'', however, the basal third of the forewing is not entirely black, but bordered basally and distally by a broad black band. The bands are continued across the hindwing, bordering also here the yellow basal area. The larva is similar to that of ''P. machaon'' but more variegated, the red dots larger and brighter; it is easy to find, since the stalks of the plants on which it feeds become white, the epidermis being gnawed. Pupa are stone grey, very flat, with carinate sides and uneven surface; fastened on stones and resembling a small stone splinter.

Subspecies

*''Papilio alexanor destelensis'' (Nel & Chauliac, 1983) Southern France *''Papilio alexanor hazarajatica'' (Wyatt, 1961) Kopet-Dagh south Ghissar *''Papilio alexanor judeus'' (Staudinger, 1893) Asia Minor, Palestine, Transcaucasia - Has broader black bands, especially in the basal area. *''Papilio alexanor orientalis'' (Romanov, 1884) Armenia - Larger than the European form and has on the whole narrower black bands, only the submarginal band of the hindwing being broadly blue. *''Papilio alexanor radighierii'' (Sala & Bollino, 1991) Piedmont, Italy *''Papilio alexanor voldemar'' (Kreuzberg, 1989) west Tian-Shan

Biology

The larva feeds on Umbelliferae, notably ''

Trinia vulgaris ''Trinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native from Europe to Iran and western Siberia. The genus was first described by Georg Franz Hoffmann in 1814. Species , Plants of the World Online accepted the following species: ...

'', ''

Seseli montanum ''Seseli'' is a genus of herbaceous perennial plants in the family Apiaceae. They are sometimes woody at base with a conic taproot. Leaf blades are 1–3-pinnate or pinnately decompound. Umbels are compound, with bracts few or absent. Petals are w ...

'', ''

Ptychotis saxifraga ''Ptychotis'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Apiaceae Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley fam ...

'', '' Opopanax chironium'', and a number of Ferula species.Butterfly Conservation Armenia. http://www.butterfly-conservation-armenia.org/papilio-alexanor.html

Protection

It is a protected species.

References

External links

AdaMerOs - Butterflies of Turkey
Insects of Pakistan alexanor Butterflies of Europe Butterflies of Asia Butterflies described in 1799 Balochistan Taxa named by Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper {{Papilionidae-stub