12 February 2020
Butterflies of Cyprus
There are over 100,000 different species of butterflies all over the planet. To date, 54 different species have been recorded in Cyprus, 9 of which have been recognized as endemic, meaning that they live only in Cyprus. Butterflies are directly linked to harmony, peace and love.
The three types of butterflies illustrated on the stamps are:
Belongs to the Pieridae family, it is a large white butterfly with a wingspan between 51 and 70 mm with very distinctive black veins. It lives mainly in open forests.
Papilio machaon giganteus:
It is the largest butterfly in Cyprus with beautiful colours. A very common species with three generations a year and appears from March to October.
Cigaritis acamas cypriaca:
It is a rare endemic butterfly subspecies in Cyprus that belongs to the Lycaenide family. It is also called the Cypriot leopard butterfly because of the brown spots on its wings.