Swallowtail (lat. Papilio machaon) is a day butterfly from the family of swallowtails or cavaliers (lat. Papilionidae).
It is found throughout Europe (absent only in Ireland, and in England it lives only in Norfolk) from the seas of the Arctic Ocean to the coast of the Black Sea and the Caucasus. Found in Asia (including the tropics), North Africa and North America. In the mountains of Europe it rises to a height of 2000 m above sea level (Alps), in Asia - up to 4500 m (Tibet).
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The name of the butterfly Swallowtail goes back far into history, during the existence of the ancient country of Troy. According to legend, the doctor Machaon lived in this city. He was engaged in healing wounded soldiers. In addition, Machaon was among the contenders for the hand and heart of the beautiful Helen and participated in the capture of Troy. But in one battle, the warrior doctor dies. And his soul became a butterfly with soft yellow wings and an elegant black pattern on them.
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The female swallowtail lays eggs, hovering in the air, on the underside of a leaf or on the side surface of the stem of food plants. During one flight, the butterfly lays 2, sometimes 3 eggs. Just one female lays up to 120 eggs in her life. The egg stage is 6-7 days.
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A caterpillar emerges from the eggs. The initial color of the caterpillar is black, with red “warts” and a large white spot on the back. As the caterpillar grows, the warts disappear and the caterpillar becomes green in color with black transverse stripes.
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When irritated, the caterpillar pushes out a gland behind its head called the osmeterium. It consists of two long orange-red horns. In case of danger, the caterpillar moves the osmetria outward, lifts the front part of the body up and back, secreting an orange-yellow liquid with a pungent unpleasant odor. Only young and middle-aged caterpillars protect themselves in this way; adult caterpillars do not move their glands when in danger.
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Pupation occurs on the stems of the host plant or on neighboring plants. The color of the pupa depends on the color of the substrate - summer pupae are green or yellowish, covered with small black dots. Overwintering pupae are brown in color, with a black head end and thick horns on the head. In Central Europe, the summer pupal stage lasts 2-3 weeks, and for wintering pupae it lasts several months.
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There are some differences between females and males. First of all, this concerns the color and size of insects. Females have brighter colors and larger wings. The wingspan of the male is 65-95 mm, and that of the female is 75-105 mm.
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It is noteworthy that 50 years ago they were considered pests of plants grown by humans. Therefore, they waged a merciless fight against the butterflies. As a result of this, their numbers were greatly reduced. Today it is quite rare to find such a butterfly. Measures to protect the species (regulation of chemical treatments, prohibition of collecting, preservation of their habitats) are not taken.
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The color of a butterfly depends on the climate in which it lives. In the northern part of its habitat, the color is quite pale, while the southern individuals of the swallowtail butterfly are much larger and have intense yellow wings.
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These beautiful butterflies live only 3-4 weeks.
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During the mating season, they often gather in fairly large flocks.
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Swallowtails' favorite food is plants of the Apiaceae family. Most often, caterpillars can be found on plants such as dill, carrots, fennel, hogweed, parsley, angelica, buten, caraway, and if there are no such plants, then the caterpillars can feed on wormwood, ash and even alder. Adults feed on nectar, which they suck out with their proboscis, and they visit different flowers (not only umbrella flowers).
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