Scarce Swallowtail

Scarce Swallowtail

Iphiclides podalirius

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Yerevan

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

58 Verified sightings at Yerevan
458 In all 9 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Scarce Swallowtail

The scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) is a species of butterfly belonging to the family Papilionidae. It is also called the sail swallowtail or pear-tree swallowtail. Else see: Iphiclides podalirius feisthamelii (North Africa, Spain and southwest France), often treated as a valid species, Iphiclides feisthamelii. Despite the name "scarce swallowtail", this species is quite common. The scarcity of United Kingdom migrants is responsible for the English vernacular name. This species is widespread in the East Palearctic realm and in most of Europe with the exception of the northern parts. Its range extends northwards to Lower Lusatia and central Poland and eastwards across Asia Minor and Transcaucasia as far as the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan, India and western China. A few specimens of the scarce swallowtail have been reported from central Sweden and... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~40%
2 Plitvice Lakes National Park 🇭🇷 Croatia
~30%
3 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
4 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
~20%
5 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
6 Vanoise National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
7 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
8 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
9 Ecrins National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Yerevan 🇦🇲 Armenia
~40%
2 Athens 🇬🇷 Greece
~30%
3 Budapest 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
4 Kharkiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~20%
5 Izmir 🇹🇷 Turkey
~20%
6 Prague 🇨🇿 Czechia
~20%
7 Bucharest 🇷🇴 Romania
~20%
8 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~20%
9 Milan 🇮🇹 Italy
~20%
10 Rome 🇮🇹 Italy
~20%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Scarce Swallowtail in Yerevan?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Scarce Swallowtail sighting in Yerevan on a given day, based on 58 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 32 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Scarce Swallowtail in Yerevan?

August

In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Scarce Swallowtail in Yerevan on a given day, against under 5% in March–April and November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Scarce Swallowtail?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scarce Swallowtail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Yerevan the best place to see a Scarce Swallowtail?

Yes

Of the 22 cities where we can rate Scarce Swallowtail sightings, Yerevan has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Athens (Greece, about 30%) and Budapest (Hungary, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Scarce Swallowtail live in Yerevan?

Same order: Lepidoptera

The closest relatives of the Scarce Swallowtail that you can see in Yerevan (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Large White (about 30%), Cardinal Butterfly (about 30%) and Eurasian Hummingbird Hawkmoth (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Scarce Swallowtail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Scarce Swallowtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Yerevan (58 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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