Papilio alexanor

Papilio alexanor is now found in a few places in Italy: sought after by collectors, the butterfly is in fact now at risk of extinction. One of the sites where he lives is the area of the former Cementir limestone quarry, others are located in Calabria and Sicily (not just around the corner). The area is particularly favorable to the reproduction of this species because it is warm, humid and rich in Ptychotis saxifraga, a small plant which grows on the rocks and which is the favorite of the Alexanor caterpillars. Precisely for this reason, during the area recovery works, the rock of the mountain was left as it was at the time of the quarry because the walls well warmed by the sun and rich in Ptychotis saxifraga are the ideal home for this species.