Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 12.iv.2024

Allancastria cerisyi / Eastern Festoon
Cerisja
Papilionidae - Parnassiinae

Allancastria cerisyi (Godart, 1823). TL: Ourlac, Turkey.

1a. Allancastria cerisyi, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b.Allancastria cerisyi ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c.Allancastria cerisyi ♂ upperside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d.Allancastria cerisyi ♂ upperside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Allancastria cerisyi copula. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f.Allancastria cerisyi ♀ upperside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1g.Allancastria cerisyi, pupa. Bulgaria (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1h.Allancastria cerisyi caterpillar. Bulgaria (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1i. Micro habitat of Allancastria cerisyi with Aristolochia. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1j. Micro habitat of Allancastria cerisyi upperside with Aristolochia. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 26-31 mm.
Ups: pale yellow with black coastal and postdiscal markings on fw.
Uph: small red postdiscal marks and on costa in s7.
Uns: similar.
♀♀
Similar wingspan.
Bllack markings more intensive.

Similar species
None.

Life cycle
Adults: a single generation, an early spring species at lower altitudes, at higher altitudes possible until end of June-early July.
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: develops fast and pupates under stones, in crevices or at the bottom of tree trunks.
Pupa: overwintering.

Habitat
Allancastria cerisyi inhabits semi-open habitats, in lowland often in olive groves, irrigation canals and cultivated areas near villages and at higher elevation in flowery grasslands from lowland up to 1500 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement low, population density can be high. At the end of the flight time, vagrant specimens are found far from the habitat.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Aristolochia sp.
Butterflies feed on different spring flowers.

Distribution
Albania: very local (probably insufficient research during the flight period) at the northern limit of its distribution range in the Balkan peninsula.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - BAL - ALP - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU*
Asia Minor, Near East.

Conservation status
Allancastria cerisyi is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: LC.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.

Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
leps.it
Euroleps

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