An intriguing butterfly, rather similar to its cousin, the Southern Festoon (Z. polyxena), with which it shares the same larval hostplant Aristolochia pistolochia (common nameBirthwort, or some species of Birthwort) or A. rotunda. Rumina has a European distribution limited to the Iberian peninsula (hence the English name) and extending east to southern France; polyxena has an easterly distribution extending west into Provence. The département of Var and the surrounding region is where they overlap and both can be seen.

In 2006 I found them in small numbers, often just singles, in a variety of locations, but in 2007 and 2008 did not see quite as many. 2009 to 2011 seemed slightly better years, so maybe the numbers fluctuate from year to year. It is an early season butterfly, single-brooded with a flight period of April-May, but tends to emerge slightly later than polyxena and stay on the wing until the third week in May.

The form medesicaste, with increased red markings on the hindwing submargins and in the hindwing basal area, is supposedly common, and may well be the predominant form in southern France. I believe that all of the below are of this form, possibly with the exception of 0147.

observations

possibly a female on the basis of what is just visible of the body shape. The left side seems quite fresh while the right side seems to have had some scale loss.

almost impossible to tell which sex. This must be quite a fresh specimen as there seems little scale loss.

a fresher specimen, with the deep red contrasting nicely with the black.

a female, but I wonder if this may not be medesicaste, even though the red uph submarginal spots are quite large, but there are no red markings on the upf. This may be due to wear (do they lose the red scales more easily?), but there is no great sign of wear elsewhere.