Editing Scarce swallowtail

{{Short description|Species of butterfly}}
{{Speciesbox
|name=Scarce swallowtail
|image=Iphiclides podalirius.jpg
|image_caption=Upperside
|image2=Scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius podalirius) Zarnesti.jpg
|image2_caption=Underside
|genus=Iphiclides
|species=podalirius
|authority=([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
}}

The '''scarce swallowtail''' (''Iphiclides podalirius'') is a species of butterfly belonging to the family [[Swallowtail butterfly|Papilionidae]]. It is also called the '''sail swallowtail''' or '''pear-tree swallowtail'''.<ref name=Threatened/>

==Subspecies==
[[Subspecies]] include:<ref name=funet>[http://ftp.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/papilionidae/papilioninae/iphiclides/ "''Iphiclides'' Hübner, [1819&#93;"] at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms''</ref>

*''Iphiclides podalirius centralasiae'' <small>(Rosen, 1929)</small>
*''Iphiclides podalirius persica'' <small>Verity, 1911</small>
*''Iphiclides podalirius podalirius'' (Central and Southern Europe)
*''Iphiclides podalirius virgatus'' <small>(Butler, 1865)</small>
*''Iphiclides podalirius xinyuanensis '' <small>Huang & Murayama, 1992</small> China (Xinyuan)

Else see:
*''[[Iphiclides feisthamelii|Iphiclides podalirius feisthamelii]]'' (North Africa, Spain and southwest France), often treated as a valid species, ''[[Iphiclides feisthamelii]]''.<ref name=ROW/>

==Distribution==
Despite the name "scarce swallowtail", this species is quite common. The scarcity of United Kingdom migrants is responsible for the English vernacular name. This species is widespread in the East [[Palearctic realm]] and in most of Europe with the exception of the northern parts. Its range extends northwards to [[Lower Lusatia]] and central Poland and eastwards across [[Asia Minor]] and [[Transcaucasia]] as far as the [[Arabian Peninsula]], Pakistan, India and western China.<ref name=funet/><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150831232331/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=440667 Fauna europaea]</ref> A few specimens of the scarce swallowtail have been reported from central Sweden and the United Kingdom but they were probably only strays and not migrants.

==Habitat==
These [[swallowtail butterfly|swallowtail butterflies]] inhabit [[garden]]s, towns as well as the countryside, in [[Field (agriculture)|fields]] and open [[woodland]]s. They are found in places with [[Blackthorn|sloe thickets]] and particularly [[orchard]]s. In the [[Alps]] they can be found up to altitudes of 2000&nbsp;m, but usually they prefer foothills and lower levels.<ref name=CBG/><ref name=ROW>[http://www.eurobutterflies.com/sp/podalirius.php Euro Butterflies by Matt Rowlings]</ref>

The presence of ''Iphiclides podalirius'' in the floodplain of the [[Morava (river)|Morava River]] in the [[Slovak Republic]] have been found to be a good indicator of relatively well preserved [[wiktionary:xerothermic|xerothermic]] [[grassland]] habitats with forest-steppe vegetation, which have no cutting history.<ref name="Morava"/>

==Status==
In some years the scarce swallowtail is quite abundant. The scarce swallowtail is getting rarer as blackthorn bushes are being cleared. The butterfly is now protected by law in the [[Czech Republic]], [[Slovakia]], [[Germany]], [[Hungary]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Russia]], [[Ukraine]], [[Poland]] and [[North Macedonia|Macedonia]] .<ref name="Threatened">{{cite book |last1=Collins |first1=N. Mark |author-link1=N. Mark Collins |last2=Morris |first2=Michael G. |date=1985 |chapter=''Iphiclides podalirius'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/98674#page/57/mode/1up |title=Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: The IUCN Red Data Book |publisher=[[International Union for Conservation of Nature|IUCN]] |location=Gland & Cambridge |page=45 |isbn=978-2-88032-603-6 |via=Biodiversity Heritage Library}}</ref> It is considered rare and endangered and protected in some provinces of Austria and of indeterminate status throughout Europe. In Armenia the species demonstrates stable population trend and is evaluated as Least Concern.<ref name="BCA">{{cite web |last1=Butterfly Conservation Armenia |title=The State of ''Iphiclides podalirius'' (Linnaeus, 1758) in Armenia |url=https://www.butterfly-conservation-armenia.org/iphiclides-podalirius.html |website=Butterfly Conservation Armenia |publisher=TSE NGO |access-date=9 June 2018}}</ref> Though referred by some authorities to be of status "vulnerable",<ref name="Morava">{{cite journal |last1=Kulfan |first1=Miroslav |last2=Degma |first2=Peter |last3=Kalivoda |first3=Henrik |year=1995 |title=Lepidoptera of different grassland types across the Morava floodplain |journal=Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera |volume=34 |issue=1–4 |pages=39–47 |doi=10.5962/p.266559 |url=http://lepidopteraresearchfoundation.org/pdf/pdf34/34-039.pdf |access-date=27 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723155342/http://lepidopteraresearchfoundation.org/pdf/pdf34/34-039.pdf |archive-date=23 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{rp|46}}<ref>Popov, 1989. On research of Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera population of Carpathian State Reserve. /S.G. Popov// Information Report of thesis, IV Conference of young scientists. 1-3 of June 1989 devoted to 70 Anniversary of YCL. Uzhgorod, 1989:138.</ref> it is however unlisted in the [[IUCN Red List]].<ref>A search for "Iphiclides" in the [http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/search search facility] of the [http://www.iucnredlist.org/ IUCN Red List web site] provides no result. Accessed 27 October 2010.</ref>

==Description==
''Iphiclides podalirius'' has a [[wingspan]] of {{convert|60|-|80|mm}} in males, of {{convert|62|-|90|mm}} in females. It is a very large distinctive butterfly. The background color of the wings is creamy white or pale yellow. On the front wings there are six tiger stripes and wedge-shaped markings. At the outer edge of the hind wings there are blue crescent markings, with an oblong, orange spot at the back corner and a relatively long tail.<ref name=ROW/><ref name=CBG>{{Cite web |url=http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/species/papilionidae/andal6.htm |title=Captain's European Butterfly Guide |access-date=2017-02-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704124447/http://butterfly-guide.co.uk/species/papilionidae/andal6.htm |archive-date=2008-07-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

This species is rather similar to ''[[Papilio machaon]]'', ''[[Papilio hospiton]]'', ''[[Papilio alexanor]]'' and ''[[Protographium marcellus]]''.

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180px">
Iphiclides podalirius MHNT CUT 2013 3 9 Male Dos Cahors.jpg|Male
Iphiclides podalirius MHNT CUT 2013 3 9 Male Ventre Cahors.jpg|Male underside
Iphiclides podalirius MHNT CUT 2013 3 9 Female Dos Cahors.jpg|Female
Iphiclides podalirius MHNT CUT 2013 3 9 Female Ventre Cahors.jpg|Female underside
</gallery>

==Biology==

Adults of ''Iphiclides podalirius'' fly from March to October. There are one, two, or three generations a year.<ref name=CBG/> Caterpillars are [[polyphagous]] feeding on ''[[Crataegus]]'' (Finland), ''[[Crataegus monogyna]]'' (Palaearctic), ''[[Malus pumila]]'' and ''[[Malus domestica]]'' (Palaearctic), ''Prunus'' (Finland, Palaearctic), ''[[Prunus armeniaca]]'' (Palaearctic, Spain), ''[[Prunus avium]]'' (Palaearctic, Spain) ''[[Prunus cerasus]]'' (Palaearctic, Russia), ''[[Prunus domestica]]'' (Palaearctic), ''[[Prunus dulcis]]'' (Palaearctic, Spain), ''[[Prunus padus]]'' (Palaearctic), ''[[Prunus persica]]'' (Palaearctic), ''[[Prunus spinosa]]'' (Palaearctic), ''[[Pyrus]]'' (Palaearctic) and ''[[Sorbus aucuparia]]'' (Palaearctic).

The caterpillars spin little pads on leaves and grip them firmly. The newly hatched caterpillar is dark in colour with two smaller and two bigger greenish patches on the dorsal side; later they are greenish with yellowish dorsal and side stripes. The summer chrysalids are green as a rule, the hibernating ones are brown. A number of hibernating chrysalids fall prey to various enemies. The caterpillars of the scarce swallowtail have been noted to leave silk trails from the permanent resting sites to feeding sites. This has been seen in both solitary and territorial larvae with larvae having the ability to discern their trails from those of others.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Weyh |first1=R. |last2=Maschwitz |first2=U. |year= 1982|title=Individual trail marking by larvae of the scarce swallowtail Iphiclides podalirius L. (Lepidoptera; Papilionidae) |journal=Oecologia |volume=52 |issue=3 |pages=415–416|doi=10.1007/BF00367969 |pmid=28310405 |bibcode=1982Oecol..52..415W|s2cid=1278796 }}</ref>

Research on pupae of ''Iphiclides podalirius'' in Spain indicates that the pupae manifest in two colours, green and brown, for the purpose of camouflage. The green pupae develop on host plants and develop directly while brown pupae enter into [[diapause]] in the [[leaf litter]]. Pupating larvae tend to form green pupae before August while after August they tend to form brown pupae. Duration of the [[Wiktionary:photophase|photophase]] or light period appears to be the mechanism which dictates the path of development of the pupa. The results suggest that the green pupa develop on food plants to avoid predation by small mammals and visual avian predators while the brown pupa develop on leaf litter to avoid avian predators.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stefanescu |first1=C. |year=2004 |title=Seasonal change in pupation behaviour and pupal mortality in a swallowtail butterfly |journal=Animal Biodiversity and Conservation |volume=27 |issue=2|pages=25–36 |url=http://w3.bcn.es/fitxers/icub/museuciencies/abc272pp2536.150.pdf |access-date =28 October 2010 }}</ref>

==Life cycle==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File: Iphiclides podalirius 1.jpg|Caterpillar
File:Iphiclides podalirius pupating.jpg|Pupating caterpillar
File:SailSwallowtail.jpg|Imago
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160809043000/http://en.butterflycorner.net/Iphiclides-podalirius-Scarce-Swallowtail-Segelfalter-Le-Flambe.382.0.html Scarce swallowtail] on Butterflycorner.net
* [http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Iphiclides_Podalirius Lepiforum.de]
* Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfili [http://www.leps.it/indexjs.htm?SpeciesPages/IphiclPodal.htm Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa]
* [https://www.guypadfield.com/scarceswallowtail.html ''Iphiclides podalirius'' on Guy Padfield's Butterfly Page]
* Butterfly Conservation Armenia [https://www.butterfly-conservation-armenia.org/]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q31080}}

[[Category:Iphiclides]]
[[Category:Butterflies of Asia]]
[[Category:Butterflies of Europe]]
[[Category:Butterflies described in 1758]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Butterflies of Africa]]