Papilio saharae Oberthür, 1879

Papilio saharae Oberthür, 1879 View in CoL ( Papilionidae ) **

L4; 25/IX/2019, nect. on D. viscosa , 1 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 06/VII/2020, nect. on Foeniculum vulgare Mill. , 5 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 19/VI/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L4; 29/V/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 15/VII/2019, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 19/III/2019, 1 ex. v., EZ.; L5; 19/IX/2019, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 20/III/2019, 1 ex. v., nect. on Echium creticum L., EZ.; L5; 31/VIII/2019, 1 ex. v., EZ.; L5; 11/III/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 19/V/2020, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 23/V/2020, 9 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 25/III/2021, 8 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 12/III/2023, nect. on Crepis sp. L., 2 ex. v., JLR.; L5; 19/III/2023, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L6; 01/IX/2019, 1 ex. and 1 larva v., EZ.; L6; 12/III/2021, nect. on L. dentata , 3 ex. v., JLR.; L6; 11/VI/2022, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L12; 14/VI/2021, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L13; 13/VI/2020, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L13; 25/VII/2020, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L13; 08/V/2021, 4 ex. v., JLR.; L13; 25/III/2021, 6 ex. v., JLR.; L13; 27/VI/2021, nect. on F. vulgare and S. atropurpurea , 4 ex. v., JLR.; L13; 29/VI/2023, nect. on D. carota and S. atropurpurea , 4 ex. v., JLR.; L15; 12/III/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L15; 12/III/2021, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L16; 16/V/2021, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L18; 20/III/2019, 1 ex. v., EZ.; L21; 15/VII/2019, nect. on C. calcitrapa , 1 ex. v., JLR.; L23; 14/VI/2021, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L24; 15/VII/2019, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L25; 07/III/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L26; 27/VII/2020, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L27; 27/VII/2020, nect. on Trachelium caeruleum L., 3 ex. v., JLR.; L27; 29/VI/2021, nect. on F. vulgare , 1 ex. v., JLR.; L34; 04/V/2023, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L35; 22/V/2020, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L35; 29/VI/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 02/IX/2019, 1 ex. v., EZ.; L36; 03/VIII/2019, nect. on D. gnidium , 5 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 15/VI/2019, in hilltopping, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 20/III/2019, 2 ex. v., EZ.; L36; 27/IX/2019, nect. on F. vulgare and Ruta angustifolia Pers. , 3 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 14/II/2020, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 17/I/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 21/VI/2020, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 28/II/2020, in hilltopping, 7 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 29/VI/2020, nect. on F. vulgare and R. angustifolia , 2 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 17/X/2021, nect. on D. viscosa , 3 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 19/II/2021, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 25/III/2021, in hilltopping, 8 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 05/V/2023, perch. on F. vulgare , 8 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 20/XI/2023, perch. on R. angustifolia in hilltopping, 9 ex. v., JLR.; L36; 23/VII/2023, in hilltopping, 7 ex. v., JLR.; L37; 09/VI/2021, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L41; 10/VII/2020, nect. on F. vulgare , where numerous last-instar larvae were observed, 12 ex. v., JLR.; L56; 19/III/2023, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L60; 15/IX/2019, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L60; 17/IX/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L60; 25/IX/2021, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L61; 04/IX/2019, nect. on A. curassavica , 1 ex. v., EZ.; L62; 04/IX/2019, 1 ex. v., EZ.; L66; 21/VI/2020, nect. on T. caeruleum , 3 ex. v., JLR.; L67; 29/IX/2023, nect. on D. viscosa , 4 ex. v., JLR.; L73; 18/V/2019, nect. on F. vulgare , 1 ex. v., JLR.; L88; 05/IX/2020, nect. on Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. , 2 ex. v., JLR.; L88; 25/VII/2020, nect. on M. suaveolens , 1 ex. v., JLR.; L88; 17/IV/2021, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L88; 26/IX/2021, nect. on M. suaveolens , 1 ex. v., JLR.; L92; 23/III/2019, 1 ex. v., EZ.; L119; 01/XI/2023, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L119; 28/X/2023, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L129; 06/X/2019, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L130; 16/VI/2020, nect. on F. vulgare , perch. and flying over Crithmum maritimum L., 11 ex. v., JLR.; L130; 07/V/2023, 6 ex. v., JLR.; L132; 15/VII/2020, nect. on T. caeruleum , 2 ex. v., JLR.; L132; 10/III/2021, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L132; 19/IV/2021, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L133; 11/IV/2021, 4 ex. v., JLR.; L133; 19/IV/2021, 3 ex. v., JLR.; L133; 23/III/2021, 4 ex. v., JLR.; L134; 01/XI/2023, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L142; 02/V/2020, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L142; 03/V/2020, 5 ex. v., JLR.; L142; 17/V/2020, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L144; 01/V/2021, 1 ex. v., JLR.; L144; 14/III/2021, 4 ex. v., JLR.; L145; 01/XI/2023, nect. on D. viscosa , 3 ex. v., JLR.; L146; 01/X/2023, nect. on D. viscosa and Mesembryanthemum sp. L., 5 ex. v., JLR.; L152; 02/V/2020, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L157; 10/III/2021, 2 ex. v., JLR.; L157; 23/III/2021, 3 ex. v., JLR.

Comment: Bacallado Aránega et al. (2012) previously cited Papilio machaon Linnaeus, 1758 in Ceuta without providing specific records. However, recent genomic studies ( Cassar et al., 2025) confirm that P. machaon is not present in North Africa. Instead, populations historically attributed to P. machaon in Morocco and, by extension, in Ceuta and Melilla, actually correspond to Papilio saharae . Consequently, the previous record of P. machaon in Ceuta must be reinterpreted as Papilio saharae , marking the first confirmed record of this species both for Ceuta and for Spain as a whole. This taxonomic reassignment has significant conservation implications. Like other Maghreb endemics present in Ceuta, P. saharae occurs in the Calamocarro-Benż and Acantilados del Monte Hacho protected natural areas which, together with the island of Lampedusa ( Italy), are the only sites in the European Natura 2000 network where the species is present. During this study, observations were made at 40 localities across both 10× 10 km UTM grids (30STE87 and 30STE97), covering the whole study area. Within these grids, the species was recorded in 17 1× 1 km UTM squares, confirming its widespread distribution ( Fig. 8 View Fig ). Adults exhibit a prolonged flight period, being multivoltine, with records from January to early November. They have been observed nectaring on D. viscosa , F. vulgare , E. creticum , R. angustifolia , S. atropurpurea , and D. carota . Larvae were recorded feeding on F. vulgare , while adults displayed hilltopping behaviour. The larval (L2-L5) ( Figs. 5 View Fig , 6), chrysalis ( Fig. 7 View Fig ), and adult stages ( Figs. 2-4 View Fig ) have been documented photographically. The Ceuta population belongs to the subspecies P. s. mauretanica Verity, 1905 ( Cassar et al., 2025). As Papilio saharae is newly added to the Spanish butterfly fauna and was not included in previous lists of Spanish common butterfly names (Monasterio León et al., 2019b; ZERYNTHIA Association, 2019 ), we propose the SpAnish nAme “mAcAÓn mAgrebí” for the species. This nomenclAture Aligns with the naming convention used for other Maghreb endemics, such as Zerynthia africana (arlequín magrebí), Anthocharis belia (aurora magrebí), Coenonympha arcanioides (ocelada magrebí), Spialia ali (sertorio magrebí), and Thymelicus hamza (dorada magrebí) (Monasterio León et al., 2020).