Old World Swallowtail

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Swallowtail

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Papilionoidea
Family:	Papilionidae
Subfamily:	Papilioninae
Tribe:	Papilionini
Genus:	Papilio
Species:	P. machaon

Binomial name

Papilio machaon
Linnaeus, 1758

The Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), is a large butterfly of the Papilionidae family. The butterfly is also known as the Common Yellow Swallowtail and the Old World Swallowtail. It is considered as the representative species of the Swallowtail or Papilionidae family and is spread right across the Palearctic region in Europe and Asia.

1 Description
2 Distribution
3 Taxonomy
4 Status
5 Habitat
6 Habits
7 Life cycle and foodplants
- 7.1 Eggs
- 7.2 Caterpillar
8 Foodplants
9 See also
10 References and external links
11 External links

[edit] Description

This striking butterfly is yellow with black wing and vein markings and a wingspan of 8 to 10 cm. The hind wings of both sexes have a pair of protruding tails which give the butterfly its common name. Just below each tail is a red eye spot.

[edit] Distribution

The Swallowtail is present throughout the entire Palearctic region through Russia to China and Japan (including the Himalayas and Taiwan) and across into Alaska and Canada. In Asia it is reported as far South as certain oases in Saudi Arabia and Oman and the high mountains of Yemen.

In South Asia it occurs in Pakistan (Baluchistan, NorthWeste Frontier Province, Chitral), and Jammu and Kashmir, Northern India (Sikkim, to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh) Nepal, Bhutan and northern Myanmar.

This butterfly is widespread in Europe but is limited to a few areas in the Norfolk Broads of East Anglia in the United Kingdom where it is the UK's largest resident butterfly (the Monarch Danaus plexippus being slightly larger but only a rare vagrant).

[edit] Taxonomy

There are 37 subspecies.
P. m. gorganus is strongly migratory in Europe and can be found in almost all habitats. Its distribution extends across Asia and also North America.
In the UK, Papilio machaon has an endemic subspecies called brittanicus, but occasionally individuals of the continental subspecies gorganus breed temporarily on the south coast. The brittanicus subspecies differs from the continental subspecies in being more heavily marked in black.

[edit] Status

Often common and not threatened as a species.
Not Rare in India.
It is listed as 'Vulnerable' in South Korea and the Austrian Red Data Book, and, also in the Red Data Book of the erstwhile Soviet Union.
The Swallowtail is protected by law in the following countries :-

- Papilio machaon machaon is protected by law in six provinces of Austria, Czechoslovakia and Hungary.
- UK (subspp brittanicus occurs in the UK but the law covers all subspecies).
- India (subspp verityi).

[edit] Habitat

It inhabits alpine meadows in the Himalayas occurring from 2000 feet in Kashmir valley to 16,000 feet in the Garhwal Himalayas. In Himachal Pradesh, it is found over 4000 feet only and in Sikkim over 8000 feet only.

At lower elevations these butterflies fly from March to September. At higher elevations the butterflies are limited by the short summer seasons.

British subspecies brittanicus is less mobile than its European continental counterpart and stays within or close by its fenland habitat.

[edit] Habits

The butterfly has a strong and fast but frequently breaks off to hover over flowering herbs and sip nectar. It frequents the alpine meadows and hillsides and is fond of 'hilltopping'. In lower elevations it can also be seen visiting gardens.

[edit] Life cycle and foodplants

There are usually two to three broods in a year, but in northern areas the species may be single-brooded. In some places like the UK some will pupate and emerge in the same year and others will overwinter as pupae before emerging the following year a situation known as being partially double brooded.

[edit] Eggs

Females lay eggs singly on plants of the umbeliferae family.

[edit] Caterpillar

The Swallowtail caterpillar spends the first part of its life with the appearance of a bird dropping, an effective defence against predators. As the caterpillar grows larger it becomes green with black and orange markings. The caterpillar still has a defence against predators in the form of an organ called an osmeterium which consists of retractable, fleshy projections behind its head that can release a foul smell.

[edit] Foodplants

Unlike other swallowtails, this species specialises in using plants of family Umbelliferae.
In the UK Milk Parsley which is also known as Marsh Hog's Fennel Peucedanum palustre, is the only caterpillar food plant used.
The foodplants of the Swallowtail in Europe, Asia and North America are much more varied than in the UK. it uses a wide variety of Umbellifers including wild carrot Daucus carota, wild angelica Angelica sylvestris, fennel Foeniculum vulgare and hogweeds Heracleum spp.