FAUNA OF ARMENIA-BUTTERFLIES

Armenia Post issued the fauna series of butterflies-moth on year 1998, featured Papilio alexanor and Rethera komarovi. The stamp set comprised of two stamps.

Papilio alexanor, the Alexanor, is a protected butterfly species in the Papilionidae or swallowtails.It is also called Southern Swallowtail . It is a very grand butterfly from Palaearctic ecozone (Asia).

With a wingspan of 7.0 – 8.0 cm the Southern Swallowtail is a small member of the family PAPILIONIDAE. The butterfly is yellowish with typical black tiger-strips. Hind wings have long tails.

Papilio alexanor has a small area of distribution and is rare.It flies from April to July in a single generation, in mountainous regions (1700 m.) of Europe, Asia Minor, the Balkans and west Asia.

The insect has a wingspan of 62 – 70 mm. The forewings are yellowish and have a black margin. Next to margin there is a long, light powdered black band. Nearby the body is a little black area. Between these opposites there are three tiger-strips. The strip in the middle has a light-coloured core.The underside is a copy of upside, but there are some differences. The strip in the middle has a blue core.

The hind wings are white or yellowish and have long tails in black. The margin is very ridged. There is a blue-black band going backwards. There is only one black tiger-strip and one short strip in the middle of the wing. In back there is a red eye with a blue eyeshadow. There is a dark zone around the body.The underside is a copy of upside.

The body is striped in black and yellow.

The larva feeds on Umbelliferae, notably Trinia vulgaris, Seseli montanum, Ptychotis saxifraga and Opopanax chironium.

Rethera komarovi is a species of moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found in south-western Europe, Asia Minor, Afghanistan, Turkestan, Iran and Iraq.

The wingspan is 55-65 mm for ssp. komarovi and 65-81 mm for ssp. manifica. Adults are on wing from mid April to mid June.Larvae have been recorded on Rubia and Galium species.

This information adopted from butterflycorner.net and wikipedia.com

Butterflies of Vanuatu

Of the 85 different butterflies now known in Vanuatu, two species and 26 subspecies (31%) are endemic to the country. From the rainforest to the white beaches, these butterflies bring striking colour and complement the beautiful flower species found in throughout the country

Therefore Vanuatu promote the country by issued the beautiful stamp series of butterflies species on April 14, 2010. The souvenir sheet comprised of 6 stamps feature six species of butterfly, The Glasswing , The Swallowtail, The Leafwing, The Common Emigrant, The Black and White Tiger, The Eight Spot Butterfly.

The Glasswing or Small Greasy (Acraea andromacha) is a tropical and subtropical butterfly with vagrant tendencies. Its wingspan is about 60 mm with forewings transparent like glass. The Glasswing is a poisonous species of butterfly as from the larvae stage it is able to assimilate and retain poisons from its passion vine host plants. The butterfly is readily visible in its slow flight, which enables predatory birds sufficient time for recognition.

The Swallowtail (Papilio godeffroyi) are found throughout the world and are richest in the tropics. Swallowtail adults are medium to large and may or may not have tails. All adults have three pairs of walking legs, and feed off flower nectar. In some areas the Swallowtail is threatened to the point of being endangered.

The Leafwing or Autumnleaf (Doleschallia bisaltide) brown pupa hangs by a silk hook from the food plant becoming a striking black caterpillar with cream, blue and red markings. The adult butterflies have wings shaped so that the resting butterfly (with the wings closed over its back) looks like a leaf hence its common name. The species is found across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, from India to Fiji, including Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

The Common Emigrant or Lemon Emigrant (Catopsilia pomona) is a medium sized (60mm wingspan) butterfly found in Asia, parts of Australia and western Pacific and gets its name from its habit of migration. The butterfly normally requires tropical, humid woodland habitat.

The Black and White Tiger or Swamp butterfly (Danaus affinis), found in tropical Asia and ranging from Thailand to Australia and into the Pacific it is one of at least 30, possibly many more, sub species. The butterfly lays eggs that are pale yellow and bullet shaped. They are laid singly on a food plant.

The Eight-Spot Butterfly (Hypolimnas octocula), is endemic to several islands and island chains in Oceania, including New Caledonia, Vanuatu and the Mariana Islands. The butterfly suffers from numerous threats, including habitat destruction, competition from introduced species and increased predation from ants and wasps.

Butterflies of Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein Post issued the stamp series depicted butterflies species on year 2010. The issuance comprised of three stamps featured the species Coenonympha oedippus, Gonepteryx rhamni,Papilio machaon.

Coenonympha oedippus

The False Ringlet (Coenonympha oedippus) is a species of butterfly in the Satyridae family. It is found in Austria, Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine. It is extinct in Bulgaria, Germany and Slovakia.The false ringlet butterfly is endangered and is extinct is some lands.

Gonepteryx rhamni

The Common Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) is a butterfly of the Pieridae family. It lives in Europe, North Africa and Asia; across much of its range, it is the only species of its genus, and is therefore simply known locally as "the brimstone".On the upper side the male is sulphur yellow and the female white with a greenish tinge but both have an orange spot in the centre of each wing. They never settle with their wings open.G. rhamni is one of the longest lived butterflies, living up to thirteen months, although most of this time is spent in hibernation.

Papilio machaon

The Old World Swallowtail, Papilio machaon, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. The butterfly is also known as the Common Yellow Swallowtail or simply the Swallowtail (a common name applied to all members of the family). It is the type species of the genus Papilio and occurs throughout the Palearctic region in Europe and Asia.The butterfly has a strong and fast flight, but frequently pauses to hover over flowering herbs and sip nectar. It frequents the alpine meadows and hillsides and is fond of 'hilltopping' – congregating near summits to compete for passing females.At lower elevations it can also be seen visiting gardens.

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Butterflies of Slovakia .

On June 26, 2002, Slovakia Post issued the butterfly stamp series features the species like as : Southern Festoon , Old World Swallowtail, European Peacock.

The issuance presented in one miniature sheet, three single stamps, FDC (First Day Cover) and Maximum card.

Southern Festoon - Zerynthia polyxena

It is common in the warmest areas of Central Europe, in steppe and forest-steppe stands up to 900 meters above the sea level, where the Calico Rower (Aristolochia) - food plant for caterpillars - grows. Southern Festoon has a local occurrence. Butterfly is striking with its bright colours. It flies from March to June. Today, it is becoming extinct at many places because its food plant appears rarely.It belongs to protected species.

European Peacock – Inachis Io

The European Peacock (Inachis io), more commonly known simply as the Peacock butterfly, is a colourful butterfly, found in Europe, temperate Asia as far east as Japan.The Peacock butterfly is resident in much of its range, often wintering in buildings or trees. It therefore often appears quite early in spring. The Peacock butterfly has figured in research where the role of eye-spots as anti-predator mechanism has been investigated.

The butterfly has a wingspan of 50 to 55 mm. The base-colour of the wings is a rusty red, and at each wingtip it bears a distinctive, black, blue and yellow eye-spot. The underside is a cryptically coloured dark-brown or black.

Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)

Old World Swallowtail belongs to the most bright and beautiful, as well as biggest butterflies in Central Europe. It flies up to 2,000 meters above the sea level. It has two generations - the first appears from the end of April to the first half of June, the second occurs from the first half of July to August. The third generation can appear from September to October during warm seasons. It prefers flowery meadows, copses of clover and alfalfa at open hilly areas and lowlands. Generally, it is very scarce and it occurs in small isolated populations. Caterpillars live at wild carrot plants.
It is protected by law.

Butterflies of Azerbaijan 2005.

Azerbaijan Post overprinted the previous stamp issued of Butterfly series on the year 2005 by changed the value of stamps. The issuance comprised of three stamps and featured same species of butterfly, Parnassius apollo, Zegris menetho,Pararge Adastroides and species of Moth, Manduca antropos.

Parnassius apollo is a butterfly of the Papilionidae family. Sometime called as The Apollo or Mountain Apollo.It is found on mountains in Europe usually above 1,000 metres up to 2,000 m ,preferring flowery meadows and mountain pastures.It is white with two red, black-edged "eye marks" on its wings. The caterpillar's favourite food plant is stonecrop (Sedum).The Apollo caterpillar lives on larkspur and rock plants and is a velvety blue-black with small orange spots.

Parnassius apollo is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals and It is protected in other states: the Principality of Liechtenstein, Czech Republic and Poland.Parnassius apollo population in Finland and Sweden decreased drastically during the 1950s.Therefore the Apollo was one of the first species of insects declared endangered in Finland.

Zegris menestho is a butterfly as member of the genus Zegris, family of Papilionoidea.

Manduca atropos is a hawkmoth of the family Sphingidae. Body length, up to 6 cm; wingspread, up to 13 cm. The dark brown thorax has a yellow marking that resembles a human skull (hence the name). The death’s-head moth is distributed in Central and Southern Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia. It is found in the central regions of the USSR, in the Ukraine, in the Northern Caucasus, and in Transcaucasia. Most often it is encountered in potato fields. The moth can suck honey from beehives, and when annoyed it emits a squeaky sound. The caterpillars, which are up to 15 cm long, feed primarily on the leaves of solanaceous plants, including the potato.

Pararge Adrastoides is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found south-eastern Transcaucasia, Azerbaijan and northern Iran.The wingspan is 42-48 mm. The larvae have been recorded on Festuca species.

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