Iranian Butterfly -2003

 

 

In year 2003, Iranian Post issued five stamp set of butterfly series and moth series. Total stamps are issued are 7 (seven)  stamps.

On May 14, 2003, they issued two stamps feature Argynnis Paphia, and Issoria Lathonia

Argynnis paphia is a common and variable butterfly found over much of the Palaearctic ecozone – Algeria, Europe, temperate Asia and Japan.

 

The Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) was in decline in the UK for much of the 1970s and 1980s, but seems to be coming back to many of its old territories.

The Silver-washed fritillary butterfly is deep orange with black spots on the upper side of its wings, and has a wingspan of 54–70 mm, with the male being smaller and paler than the female. The underside is green, and, unlike other fritillaries, has silver streaks instead of silver spots, hence the name silver-washed.

 

The Queen of Spain Fritillary (Issoria lathonia) is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.It occurs throughout the Palaearctic from North Africa to Japan.It is distinctly migratory in Western Europe, in Central and South Europe.

 

 

The adult is a strong flyer, and may be found anywhere but forests. Flight time is between March and October, size is between 38 mm and 46 mm, and is usually found at altitudes between sea level and 2700 m .

On 10 June 2003 , they issued only one stamp feature 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 imago typically has yellow wings with black vein markings, and a wingspan of 65–86 millimetres. The hind wings of both sexes have a pair of protruding tails which give the butterfly its common name from the resemblance to the birds of the same name. Just below each tail is a red eye spot.

 

On 14 July 2003, they issued one stamp feature moth species, Zygaena Sp. Zygaena is a genus of moths in the Zygaenidae family. These brightly coloured, day-flying moths are native to the West Palearctic.The Palearctic is the largest ecozone.

 

It includes the terrestrial ecoregions of Europe, Asia north of the Himalaya foothills, northern Africa, and the northern and central parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

 

On 25 August 2003, they issued one stamp feature Polygonia egea. The Southern Comma (Polygonia egea) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found in Southern Europe.The butterfly flies from March to September depending on the location.The larvae feed on Parietaria officinalis.

 

On 17 December 2003, they issued  Utethsia Pulchella. The Crimson-speckled Flunkey (Utetheisa pulchella) is a moth of the family Arctiidae. It is found in Africa, Southern Europe, Central and Southern Asia and Australia.The wingspan is 29-42 mm.The larvae feed on Forget-me-not, Echium, Borago and Anchusa species.