Papilio machaon Linnaeus 1758

Old World Swallowtail

Notes: The Old World Swallowtail is quite common butterfly. It occurs in meadows, weed fields, gardens, road sides, parks, hillsides and arid ridges. In Slovakia it has 3 - 4 broods a year, since April till the end of September. A female lays round, yellow eggs. Caterpillars feed on plants of the carrot family (Apiaciae). They are equipped with a protrudable forked scent gland called an osmeterium, which emits a foul odor. Osmeterium protects them before predators and caterpillars push it forward when they are disturbed. They also absorb the toxins of the plants they eat so they are bad-tasting to birds, but they are often parasitized by wasps. Several color forms of the caterpillars are known. The chrysalids of the last generation overwinter on the plants.

Host plants: Apiaciae, Peucedanum arenarium...

Similar species: Papilio hospiton.

Range: Palearkt and Nearkt.

 

male, female

all regions of Slovakia

holarctic region (palearkt + nearkt)