Scarce Swallowtail - Luxembourg

Luxembourg, one of the smallest countries in the world in area and population, is divided into three districts: Diekirch, Grevenmacher, and Luxembourg. These districts are further divided into 12 cantons and 106 communes. Twelve of these subdivisions are large enough to be labeled as independent cities.

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Iphiclides podalirius - Despite its name, the scarce swallowtail butterfly is common throughout Europe, but their numbers have suffered a sharp decrease. This decline is attributed to the clearing of blackthorn bushes, an important food source for the swallowtail larvae. The chrysalids will take on either a green or brown color during the pupae stage for the purpose of camouflage. The larvae will form a green pupae before August when the leaves are green; after August they will form brown pupae to blend in with the decaying leaves.

Common Poppy - Luxembourg

Papaver rhoeas - The common poppy grows to a height of about 70 centimeters. The flowers consist of four bright red petals set on a black base supported by a hairy stalk. The plant was common prior to the widespread use of herbicides. The poppy can produce over 15,000 seeds durable enough to lie dormant for decades before germinating. With farmers and landscapers reverting to less intrusive ways of controlling weeds, the common poppy is becoming a common sight again. 

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The Congress of Vienna transformed Luxembourg into a grand duchy, the only remaining duchy in the world. The duties of maintaining the duchy was divided between the German Confederation and the Netherlands. A revision of this setup was negotiated through the 1839 Treaty of London, an agreement establishing the independence and neutrality of Luxembourg and Belgium. Germany occupied Luxembourg during both World Wars and annexed Luxembourg to Germany from 1940 until 1944.

Butterflies of Europe

The wall brown’s ideal habitat includes sparsely wooded areas or shrubby areas in ravines and river valleys. There has been a significant decline in numbers of sightings of the wall brown in Southern England since the mid 70’s. This decline has been attributed to environmental changes.

Blackleg tortoiseshells are found throughout Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia. During the imago stage, the butterfly will winter in dark and dry areas; tree hollows or unoccupied buildings are preferred. It will emerge in late February or early March looking for food sources high in sugars and for mating purposes. Imago is a biological term defining the final stage of an insect’s metamorphosis into adulthood.

The Queen of Spain is a common butterfly found throughout Europe and temperate Asia. Male and female are similar in appearance, although the female is slightly larger and features a shorter abdomen. Females tend to be sedentary, males will pursue any butterfly passing through its territory. Sources for nectar include thistles, thyme, cow parsley, and dandelion.

The European butterflies depicted are the wall brown (Lasiommata megera), the blackleg tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros), and the Queen of Spain (Issoria lathonia).