The name of this butterfly has a really fascinating origin, waiting to be discovered: "Zerynthia" is one of the names of Hecate (also known as "Zea"), a goddess who arrived in Athenian mythology from other cults preceding the birth of the Greek empire.
She was the goddess of magic and - above all - of crossbreeds, features perfectly matching with this unique butterfly to which is also associated the myth of the magnificent Cassandra: the greatest clairvoyant of all the Olympus. This butterfly is one of the most " discreet ", in fact, despite its beauty, it is not at all vain. It is not so easy to observe it in nature, it flies only in a limited period of the year, from March to May, and it can be found only in a few Italian areas: in clearings and at the edge of the woods south of the Po River, in Sicily and Elba. But just how can the Cassandra be this beautiful? Its beauty secret is in its diet! In fact, the caterpillar of this butterfly feeds only on a single and valuable plant: the Aristolochia rotunda. The coloration of the wings is very attractive for us humans, but it has a very precise purpose in nature, that of protecting the butterfly against predators. In fact, the characteristic black and red drawings make for what is called an "aposematic" livery (coloration), that is, one that disturbs and discourages potential predators from hunting the butterfly.