Papilio Machaon
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''Papilio machaon'', the Old World swallowtail, is a
butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
of the family
Papilionidae Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies in the family Papilionidae, and include over 550 species. Though the majority are tropical, members of the family inhabit every continent except Antarctica. The family includes the larg ...
. The butterfly is also known as the common yellow swallowtail or simply the swallowtail (a common name applied to all members of the family, but this species was the first to be given the name). It is the
type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...
of the genus ''
Papilio ''Papilio'' is a genus in the swallowtail butterfly family, Papilionidae, as well as the only representative of the tribe Papilionini. The word ''papilio'' is Latin for butterfly. It includes the common yellow swallowtail (''Papilio machaon''), ...
''. This widespread species is found in much of the
Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...
(it is the only swallowtail in most of Europe) and in North America.


Etymology

This species is named after Machaon ( grc, Μαχάων, Makháōn) a figure in
Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...
. He was a son of
Asclepius Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis, or Arsinoe, or of Apollo alone. Asclepius represe ...
.


Taxonomy

''Papilio machaon'' was named by
Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
in the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'' in 1758, alongside nearly 200 other species of butterfly. Later,
Pierre André Latreille Pierre André Latreille (; 29 November 1762 – 6 February 1833) was a French zoologist, specialising in arthropods. Having trained as a Roman Catholic priest before the French Revolution, Latreille was imprisoned, and only regained his freedom ...
designated it as the
type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...
of the
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''
Papilio ''Papilio'' is a genus in the swallowtail butterfly family, Papilionidae, as well as the only representative of the tribe Papilionini. The word ''papilio'' is Latin for butterfly. It includes the common yellow swallowtail (''Papilio machaon''), ...
''. '' Papilio appalachiensis'' and ''
Papilio xuthus ''Papilio xuthus'', the Asian swallowtail, Chinese yellow swallowtail or Xuthus swallowtail, is a yellow-colored, medium to large sized swallowtail butterfly found in northeast Asia, northern Myanmar, southern China, Taiwan, the Korean Penins ...
'' are also of the same genus. The specific epithet ' refers to Machaon, son of
Asclepius Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis, or Arsinoe, or of Apollo alone. Asclepius represe ...
in the works of
Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
.


Subspecies

There are 41 recognized
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
, that include: * ''P. m. aliaska'' Scudder, 1869 (Chukot Peninsula, Alaska to northern British Columbia) * ''P. m. annae'' Gistel, 1857 * ''P. m. archias'' Fruhstorfer, 1907 (southern Sichuan) * ''P. m. asiaticus'' Ménétriés, 1855 * ''P. m. baijangensis'' Huang & Murayama, 1992 (China: Xinjiang) * ''P. m. bairdii'' Edwards, 1866 (Nevada to Kansas, Arizona, Colorado)
Baird’s Swallowtail (Baird’s Swallowtail, Papilio machaon bairdii) - female
', pbase.com
* ''P. m. birmanicus'' Rothschild, 1908 (southern Shan States) * ''P. m. britannicus'' (Seitz, 1907) (Great Britain) * ''P. m. brucei'' Edwards, 1893 (Alberta, Saskatchewan to Nebraska, Utah) * ''P. m. centralis'' Staudinger, 1886 (Turan, western Tian-Shan, Ghissar, Darvaz, Alai, western Pamirs) * ''P. m. chinensis'' Verity, 1905 (Sichuan) * ''P. m. gorganus'' Fruhstorfer, 1922 (southern Europe, Ural, Caucasus Major) * ''P. m. hippocrates'' C. & R. Felder, 1864 (Japan) * ''P. m. hudsonianus'' Clark, 1932 (Alberta to Quebec) * ''P. m. kamtschadalus'' Alphéraky, 1897 (Kamchatka) * ''P. m. kiyonobu'' Morita, 1997 (Tibet) * ''P. m. kunkalaschani'' Eller, 1939 (western Sichuan) * ''P. m. ladakensis'' Moore, 1884 (eastern Pamirs) * ''P. m. lapponica'' Verity, 1911 (northern Europe) * ''P. m. machaon'' (Central Europe) * ''P. m. mauretanica'' Verity, 1905 (North Africa) * ''P. m. maxima'' gen.aest. angulata Verity, 1911 * ''P. m. melitensis'' Eller, 1936 (Malta) * ''P. m. montanus'' Alphéraky, 1897 (western Sichuan, south-western Gansu, eastern Qinghai, north-western Yunnan) * ''P. m. muetingi'' Seyer, 1976 (southern Arabia, United Arab Emirates) * ''P. m. neochinensis'' Sheljuzhko, 1913 (Ta-tsien-lu) * '' P. m. oregonius'' Edwards, 1876 (southern British Columbia to Oregon, Idaho) * ''P. m. oreinus'' Sheljuzhko, 1919 (Tian-Shan) * ''P. m. orientis'' Verity, 1911 (Altai, Sayan, Transbaikalia, northern Amur, Far East) * ''P. m. pikei'' Sperling, 1987 (Quebec, British Columbia) * ''P. m. sachalinensis'' Matsumura, 1911 (Sakhalin) * ''P. m. schapiroi'' Seyer, 1976 (southern Ussuri) * ''P. m. septentrionalis'' Verity, 1911 (Kurils) * ''P. m. sikkimensis'' Moore, 1884 (Tibet) * ''P. m. suroia'' Tytler, 1939 (Manipur, Assam, northeastern India) * ''P. m. sylvina'' Hemming, 1933 (Taiwan) * ''P. m. syriacus'' Verity, 1908 (Caucasus Minor, Armenia, Talysh Mountains) * ''P. m. taliensis'' Eller, 1939 (northern Yunnan) * ''P. m. ussuriensis'' Sheljuzhko, 1910 (southern Amur, northern and central Ussuri) * ''P. m. verityi'' Fruhstorfer, 1907 (northern Burma, Shan States, southern Yunnan) * ''P. m. weidenhofferi'' Seyer, 1976 (Kopet-Dagh) ''Papilio machaon gorganus'' is strongly migratory in Europe and may be found in almost all habitats. In the UK, ''P. m. britannicus'' is an
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
subspecies, but occasionally individuals of the continental subspecies ''P. m. gorganus'' breed temporarily on the south coast. Subspecies ''P. m. britannicus'' differs from the continental subspecies in being more heavily marked in black. The
Maltese Islands Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
are home to another endemic subspecies, ''P. m. melitensis''. File:RSPB Strumpshaw Fen Norfolk Swallowtail.jpg, ''P. m. britannicus'' File:Swallow-tail. Papilio machaon gorganus - Flickr - gailhampshire.jpg, ''P. m. gorganus'' File:Papilio machaon hippocrate2.jpg, ''P. m. hippocrates'' File:חיות בישראל (9).JPG, ''P. m. syriacus'' File:Papilio machaon - Swallowtail 1.jpg, worn specimen,
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...


Distribution and status

This butterfly is present throughout the entire
Palearctic The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...
region, ranging from Russia to China and Japan, (including the
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
and
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
), and across into Alaska, Canada, and the United States, and thus, is not restricted to the
Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
, despite the common name. In Asia, it is reported as far south as
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
,
Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
, the high mountains of
Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
,
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
,
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. In southern Asia, it occurs in
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
and
Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
, northern India (
Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Silig ...
, to
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
, and
Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (, ) is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares int ...
),
Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
,
Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainous ...
, and northern
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
. This butterfly is widespread in Europe. In the United Kingdom, it is limited to a few areas in the
Norfolk Broads Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North ...
of
East Anglia East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...
. It is the UK's largest resident butterfly. The
monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...
(''Danaus plexippus'') is slightly larger, but is only a rare vagrant. As ''P. machaon'' is widespread throughout Eurasia and often common, it is not threatened as a species. It is listed as "vulnerable" in the South Korean and Austrian Red Data Books, and in the Red Data Book of the former
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. In
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
the species demonstrates stable population trend and is assessed as Least Concern. In some countries, ''P. machaon'' and its subspecies are protected by law. ''Papilio machaon machaon'' is protected by law in six provinces of Austria, Czech Republic,
Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
, Hungary,
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, and
Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
. The species is protected in the United Kingdom, and subspecies ''verityi'' is protected in India.


Description

The
imago In biology, the imago (Latin for "image") is the last stage an insect attains during its metamorphosis, its process of growth and development; it is also called the imaginal stage, the stage in which the insect attains maturity. It follows the f ...
typically has yellow wings with black vein markings, and a wingspan of . The hindwings of both sexes have a pair of protruding tails which give the butterfly its common name from the resemblance to the birds of the same name. Just below each tail is one red and six blue eye spots. In the
caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
stage, ''P. machaon'' has a length of . When young, the caterpillar resembles a bird dropping, giving it
camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...
. The caterpillar also protects itself using a large orange fork which protrudes behind its head. It can be distinguished from '' Papilio hospiton'', which occurs sympatrically with it on Corsica and
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
, by the longer "tails" on the hindwings. It can be told apart from the
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
n species '' Papilio saharae'' only by counting the segments on the antennae. File:Papilio machaon MHNT CUT 2013 3 11 Cahors Female.jpg, Top (L) and bottom (R) sides, male ( MHNT)


Ecology

The butterfly has a strong and fast flight, but frequently pauses to hover over flowering herbs and sip nectar. It frequents alpine meadows and hillsides, and males are fond of ' hilltopping', congregating near summits to compete for passing females. At lower elevations, it can be seen visiting gardens. Unlike other swallowtails which specialise on
Rutaceae The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in BoDD – Botanical Der ...
, this species mostly feeds on plants of family
Umbelliferae Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plants ...
, females laying eggs singly. Milk parsley (also known as marsh hog's fennel) is normally the only food plant used by the
caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
s of the British subspecies. The food plants of the swallowtail in Europe, Asia, and North America are more varied than in the UK. It uses a wide variety of umbellifers including wild carrot ('' Daucus carota''), wild angelica (''
Angelica sylvestris ''Angelica sylvestris'' or wild angelica is a species of flowering plant, native to Europe and central Asia. An annual or short-lived perennial growing to a maximum of , it has erect purplish stems and rounded umbels of minuscule white or pale p ...
''), fennel (''
Foeniculum vulgare Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalize ...
''), and hogweeds ('' Heracleum''). In the
Maltese Islands Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, the
caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
feeds on plants such as rue (''
Ruta chalepensis Dried fruits. ''Ruta chalepensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the Rutaceae family known by the common name fringed rue. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa. It has been found elsewhere as an introduced species. It is a perennial herb ...
'') in addition to Umbelliferae such as fennel. In
Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
, the common yellow swallowtail, as ''Papilio machaon'' is called there, inhabits alpine meadows in the
Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
occurring from in
Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
valley to in the Garhwal Himalayas. In India, in
Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
, it is found over only and in
Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Silig ...
over only. At lower elevations, these butterflies fly from March to September; at higher elevations, they are limited by the short summer seasons. The British subspecies ''P. m. brittanicus'' is less mobile than its European continental counterpart and stays within, or close by, its fenland habitat.


Life cycle

There are usually two to three broods in a year, but in northern areas, the species may be
univoltine Voltinism is a term used in biology to indicate the number of broods or generations of an organism in a year. The term is most often applied to insects, and is particularly in use in sericulture, where silkworm varieties vary in their voltinism. ...
. In some places such as 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 bivoltine. The caterpillar spends the first part of its life with the appearance of a bird dropping, an effective defense against predators. As the caterpillar grows larger, it becomes green with black and orange markings. It has a defense against
predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
s in the form of an ''
osmeterium The osmeterium is a defensive organ found in all papilionid larvae, in all stages. The organ is situated in the prothoracic segment and can be everted when the larva feels threatened. The everted organ resembles a fleshy forked tongue (not unlik ...
'', which consists of retractable, fleshy projections behind its head that can release a foul smell if disturbed, which deters insects, but not birds.


Breeding

Old World swallowtails can easily be bred in captivity. Butterflies can be lured to lay eggs in a backyard garden by keeping plenty of caterpillar food plants in it.
Common rue ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of ''Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bluis ...
plants are highly appropriate for this. Once eggs or young caterpillars have been collected, they can be kept in a pot with holes on its top to allow air circulation. More than one caterpillar may be kept in a single pot since they do not attack each other (although they might sometimes get frightened by other caterpillars moving). They can be fed any of their food plants. Fennel is one of the easiest to find in the wild. Care must be taken with fennel as well as dill, though, because they will not eat hard, woody stems; they need to be fed the tender leaves. They can also be fed rue or milk parsley. Feeding them with unsuitable plants will lead to death from starvation. Caterpillars are very fast eaters; they will spend their time eating or resting before they resume their eating again. Once a sufficient size has been attained, they will attach themselves to any available structure with their silky threads. They will then stay still until they become pupae. This will take about a day. Once in the pupa stage, they can be very carefully removed from the pot and placed in a warm location. The time the butterfly takes to form and come out depends on the temperature. If kept in warm summer temperatures, it will take about one or two weeks to form. On the other hand, if the temperature is lower, it might take as long as several months until it feels the weather is warm enough. Pupae should not be kept on an impermeable surface, since when they eclose a bit of liquid will be released, this means the butterfly would stay wet and might not be able to fly. Absorbing paper such as the one used in kitchens is advisable.


See also

*
List of butterflies of India (Papilionidae) This is a list of the butterflies of family Papilionidae (superfamily Papilionoidea), or the swallowtails, which are found in India. This family of large and beautiful butterflies is well represented with 89 species found within Indian borde ...
*
List of butterflies of Great Britain This is a list of butterflies of Great Britain, including extinct, naturalised species and those of dubious origin. The list comprises butterfly species listed in ''The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland'' by Emmet ''et al.'' and '' ...


References


External links


Fauna europaea

Lepiforum.de


* ttp://www.schmetterling-raupe.de/art/machaon.htm www.schmetterling-raupe.de
Lectotype of ''Papilio machaon''
on th
website of the Linnean Society of London
Accessed 8 November 2010.
UK Butterflies



Butterfly Conservation Armenia
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