Pontia callidice

Pontia callidice

In the "kingdom" of butterflies, queens are a must, and Pontia callidice has a very special kingdom. Its name should derive from the Latin "pons" which stays for "bridge". But the Latins had modified a word borrowed from the Greek, "pontios" which means "of the sea".

In fact, since this butterfly adores the high mountains, it is easy to find it fluttering near the numerous small bridges between the mountain paths, being revered with glances and astonishment just like Callidice: the ancient queen of Thesprotia, Ulysses' wife, from which it takes its specific name. The callidice lives in alpine meadows between 1500 m and 3000 m of altitude, as can be seen in this photo in which it poses on a flower of Clematis vitalba. In this butterfly the two sexes are well recognizable because the female has black drawings very developed on the right side of all the wings. Moreover, the callidice is a true highlander, just think that it is found even in the north-west of the Himalayas, in India, at over 3,700 m of altitude.

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