Old World Swallowtail

The Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. The butterfly is also known as the Common Yellow Swallowtail or, simply, The Swallowtail (a common name applied to all members of the family). It is the type species of the genus Papilio and occurs throughout the Palearctic region in Europe and Asia; it also occurs across North America, and thus is not restricted to the Old World, despite the common name.

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.

Distribution

This butterfly is present throughout the entire Palearctic region through Russia to China and Japan (including the Himalayas and Taiwan) and across into Alaska, Canada, and the United States. In Asia it is reported as far south as Saudi Arabia, Oman and the high mountains of Yemen.

In South Asia it occurs in Pakistan (Baluchistan, North West 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 in the United Kingdom it is limited to a few areas in the Norfolk Broads of East Anglia. It is the UK's largest resident butterfly. The Monarch Danaus plexippus is slightly larger but is only a rare vagrant.

Habitat

In India, the Common Yellow Swallowtail, as Papilio machaon is called there, 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.

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