Europe
Old World Swallowtail
Scientific name Papilio machaon
- Wingspan
- 65-86 mm
- Max age
- 3-4 weeks
- Rarity
- uncommon
About this butterfly
The Old World Swallowtail is a large yellow-and-black butterfly with short tails on the hindwings. On the European mainland it uses many umbellifers, including fennel, wild carrot, angelica and hog's-fennel relatives. The British race britannicus is different: a fen specialist whose larvae feed on milk-parsley. Across most of Europe, garden and wild fennel is a valid host. Adults are strong fliers of open country, hillsides, gardens and wetlands. They take nectar from flowers such as thistles and scabious. Females lay eggs singly on the chosen umbellifer. The species overwinters as a pupa. Numbers fluctuate with weather and habitat. It remains a celebrated butterfly wherever swallowtails still breed.