Swallowtail
Papilio machaon
Recognise!
The swallowtail is easily identifiable through its black and yellow markings, its long tails and the distinctive blue and red markings on the wingtips of the hindwings.
Did you know?
The swallowtail occurs in biodiversity-rich grasslands, on banks and around path edges; it is also occasionally found in gardens. The caterpillars live on plants, such as carrot or dill, that belong to the celery, carrot and parsley family. If you come across any black and green striped caterpillars with red dots within your carrot plantations, leave them alive. The caterpillars do not do any damage and will soon become magnificent butterflies.
Source: "Schmetterlinge entdecken, beobachten, bestimmen. Die 150 häufigsten tagaktiven Arten Mitteleuropas.“ Seggewiße & Wymann, Haupt Verlag.
Photo: Berthold Zeimetz