Spanish Festoon

Habitat: Warm, dry, rocky places with scrub, agricultural land, flower-rich grasses.

Appearance: Southwest Europe; Portugal, Spain, Southern France: scarce and localised in the Pyrénées-Orientales to Lozère and Provence.

Flying time: One generation, late March – May.

Characteristics: Wingspan 44 – 56 mm.

Life cycle: Aristolochia is a genus of plants from the birthwort family (Aristolochiaceae). The host plants used by the Spanish Festoons are Aristolochia pistolochia (Spanish Birthwort), Aristolochia rotunda (smearwort), Aristolochia longa (Sarrasine), Aristolochia baetica (Andalusian Dutchman’s Pipe). The eggs are laid singly or in small groups on leaves. The caterpillars feed exclusively on pipewort species as indicated above. By eating these poisonous plants, the caterpillars themselves also become poisonous to predators. The mature caterpillar spins a belt of silk and usually pupates vertically on a twig, tree bark or under stones. Hibernation takes place in this pupal stage. The moths drink nectar from various flowers.