TWO TAILED PASHA
This is the butterfly that a lot of people want to see when they visit Kefalonia. This is a large butterfly with a wingspan of 76 to 83mm. Two-tailed pashas are fast and strong flyers and when on the wing can be confused with the Camberwell beauty. On closer inspection, the twin tails on the hindwing make identification easier. The upper wings are a dark, brownish black with broad orange-yellow borders on both wings. The underside of the wings are glorious. A mosaic of brown, purple, grey and black interspersed with a thin white border. The underside edges are a chequered orange, yellow and white with blue added on the hind wing.
The two-tailed pasha can be seen from sea level, up to 1300m. I have often seen them on Mt Ainos when birding on the slopes. They prefer scrubby habitats, often on hillsides as well as olive groves and gardens. The males are very territorial and will even chase small birds. The males will fly up a hill and wait for the ladies. The higher up the hill, the stronger the male and so the most desirable. This behavior is called hill-topping.
The larvae feed on the strawberry tree, and the adults are often drawn to the ethanol in fermenting fruits, which means they can be baited with wine and other alcoholic beverages (like a lot of my friends). The two-tailed pasha can be seen between May and October, when they can produce 2 broods. The caterpillars are green with yellow lines on their sides and yellowy white raised rings. The head bears 4 horns facing backwards.
