MAY/JUNE: Iphiclides podalirius EGGS
Host plants: Plum, Pear, Peach, Blackthorn
Difficulty: Easy to rear (1/10) but breeding is challenging
Temperature: Room temp. for rearing; adult butterflies need warmth to breed
Lifecycle: Two broods per year; pupae overwinter
Iphiclides podalirius, commonly known as the Scarce Swallowtail butterfly, is a striking butterfly species native to Europe and Asia. This butterfly, belonging to the Papilionidae family, is renowned for its elegance and beauty. It boasts a wingspan of about 7-8cm, with distinctive yellow-white wings adorned with black stripes and blue spots near the margins. Its larvae feed on various deciduous trees, including stone fruit trees (e.g. Cherry, Plum, Peach, Apricot), others like Pear, Buckthorn and Hawthorn - in central Europe caterpillars are most commonly found on Buckthorn (Prunus spinosa).