Two-tailed pasha

A spectacular, large butterfly with a powerful flight. Its life cycle depends strictly on the strawberry-tree and is always to found in woodland where this shrub grows. Males often gather on elevated points and take up territories as they wait for females to arrive and choose a mate. This means that they can sometimes be seen some distance from their normal habitats. It flies in two generations: the first is not very common and appears in May-June, while the second is very common and is on the wing in August-October. It hibernates as a larva. Adults never visit flowers to take nectar; instead they are attracted by rotten fruit. If you have fruit trees – and above all figs trees – in your garden and you want close-up views of this species, don’t pick up the fallen fruit at the end of summer. You are more than likely to get a visit from this magnificent insect.
Scientific name: Charaxes jasius

See all butterflies of Menorca