Swallowtails or cavaliers are a family that unites the largest and most beautiful butterflies. The greatest diversity of species is found in the tropics, but interesting and colorful insects can also be seen on other continents. The family includes 700 species of swallowtails, 20 live in Russia. The swallowtail butterfly is a typical representative of the genus Papilio with long tails and wavy wings. The color of the insect is yellow with a black pattern and a red-blue eye. Despite the fact that the butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic, its numbers have declined sharply. To protect lepidoptera from complete destruction, the species was listed in the Red Book.
Origin of the species and description
Photo: Swallowtail Butterfly
The species Papilio machaon belongs to the family of sailboats (Latin: Papilionidae). The species was discovered by the Swedish naturalist in 1758, Karl Lyney. The biologist named the butterfly in honor of the ancient Greek physician Machaon, who was a physician, surgeon and fought for the Greeks in the Trojan War (1194 BC). The doctor was the son of Asclepius (god of healing) and Epione.
Interesting fact: There is a legend that Doctor Machaon healed warriors wounded in battle. He took part in the Battle of Troy to win the hand and heart of Helen the Beautiful. But when he dies in one of the battles, his soul turns into a beautiful yellow butterfly with a black pattern on its wings.
Since the swallowtail's range is quite wide, up to 37 subspecies of the moth are distinguished. The most common among them:
- Orientis - south of Siberia;
- Ussuriensis - Amur and Primorye;
- Hippocrates - Japan, Sakhalin, Kuril Islands;
- Amurensis - basin of the middle and lower Amur;
- Asiatica - Central Yakutia;
- Kamtschadalus - Kamchatka;
- Gorganus - Central Europe, Caucasus;
- Aliaska - North America;
- Brutannicus Seitz - Great Britain;
- Centralis - Caucasian coast of the Caspian Sea, Northern Caspian Sea, Kura Valley;
- Muetingi - Elbrus;
- Syriacus - Syria.
There are other subspecies, but scientists do not recognize many of them, considering them only seasonal forms similar to the nominate individuals. The dependence of the color of wings on temperature does not allow taxonomists to come to a common opinion, as a result of which there is constant debate on this topic. Externally, the appearance is similar to the Corsican sailboat and the Alexanor sailboat.
Subspecies [edit]
There are 41 recognized subspecies, including: [3]
The trailing edges of the hind wings resemble the tails of swallows.
- Evenings.
aliaska Scudder, 1869 (Chukchi Peninsula, Alaska to northern British Columbia) - Evenings.
Anna Gistel, 1857 - Evenings.
archias Fruhstorfer, 1907 (southern Sichuan) - Evenings.
asiaticus Ménétriés, 1855 - Evenings.
baijangensis Huang & Murayama, 1992 (China: Xinjiang) - Evenings.
bairdii Edwards, 1866 (Nevada to Kansas, Arizona, Colorado) - Evenings.
birmanicus Rothschild, 1908 (southern Shan states) - Evenings.
britannicus (Seitz, 1907) (Great Britain) - Evenings.
brucei Edwards, 1893 (Alberta, Saskatchewan to Nebraska, Utah) - Evenings.
centralis Staudinger, 1886 (Turan, Western Tien Shan, Gissar, Darvaz, Alai, Western Pamir) - Evenings.
chinensis Verity, 1905 (Sichuan) - Evenings.
gorganus Fruhstorfer, 1922 (southern Europe, Urals, Greater Caucasus) - Evenings.
Hippocrates K. and R. Felder, 1864 (Japan) - Evenings.
hudsonianus Clark, 1932 (Alberta to Quebec) - Evenings.
kamtschadalus Alphéraky, 1897 (Kamchatka) - Evenings.
Kiyonobu Morita, 1997 (Tibet) - Evenings.
kunkalaschani Eller, 1939 (western Sichuan) - Evenings.
ladakensis Moore, 1884 (eastern Pamir) - Evenings.
lapponica Verity, 1911 (Northern Europe) - Evenings.
Swallowtail (Central Europe) - Evenings.
mauretanica Verity, 1905 (North Africa) - Evenings.
maxima gen.aest. angulata Verity, 1911 - Evenings.
melitensis Eller, 1936 (Malta) - Evenings.
montanus Alphéraky, 1897 (western Sichuan, southwestern Gansu, eastern Qinghai, northwestern Yunnan) - Evenings.
muetingi Seyer , 1976 (southern Arabia, United Arab Emirates) - Evenings.
neochinensis Sheljuzhko, 1913 (Ta-tsien-lu) - Evenings.
Oregonius Edwards, 1876 (southern British Columbia to Oregon, Idaho) - Evenings.
oreinus Sheljuzhko, 1919 (Tien Shan) - Evenings.
orientis Verity, 1911 (Altai, Sayan, Transbaikalia, Northern Amur, Far East) - Evenings.
pikei Sperling, 1987 (Quebec, British Columbia) - Evenings.
sachalinensis Matsumura, 1911 (Sakhalin) - Evenings.
schapiroi Seyer , 1976 (Southern Ussuri) - Evenings.
septentrionalis Verity, 1911 (Kuril Islands) - Evenings.
sikkimensis Moore, 1884 (Tibet) - Evenings.
Suroya Tytler, 1939 (Manipur, Assam, northeast India) - Evenings.
Silvina Hemming, 1933 (Taiwan) - Evenings.
syriacus Verity, 1908 (Lesser Caucasus, Armenia, Talysh Mountains) - Evenings.
taliensis Eller, 1939 (northern Yunnan) - Evenings.
ussuriensis Sheljuzhko, 1910 (Southern Amur, Northern and Central Ussuri) - Evenings.
verityi Fruhstorfer, 1907 (northern Burma, Shan states, southern Yunnan) - Evenings.
weidenhofferi Seyer , 1976 (Kopet-Dag)
Papilio machaon gorganus
highly migratory in Europe and can be found in almost all habitats.
In the UK P. m.
britannicus is an endemic subspecies, but individuals of the continental subspecies
P. m. are sometimes found.
gorganus breed temporarily on the south coast.
Subspecies P. m.
britannicus differs from the continental subspecies in having a more pronounced black coloration.
The Maltese Islands are home to another endemic subspecies, P. m. melitensis
.
- Evenings. Britannic
- Evenings. gorgan
- Evenings. hippocrates
- Evenings. Syriacus
- worn copy, Türkiye
Appearance and features
Photo: Machaon
The color of the swallowtail is bright and beautiful - yellow or beige. On top of it is a pattern of black lines. Body size reaches 10 centimeters in females and 8 in males. The wingspan is from 6 to 10 centimeters, depending on the subspecies. Along the outer edges of the wings there is a pattern of moon-shaped yellow spots.
The hind wings have elongated tails that are not adjacent to the abdomen. Their length can reach up to 10 millimeters. The sides of the wings are framed by blue and yellow spots. There is a red “eye” on the inside of the wings. Life expectancy is up to 24 days.
Video: Swallowtail Butterfly
The caterpillars hatch green with black stripes containing many red dots. Their body length at birth is about 2 millimeters. In the prothoracic segment there is a fork-shaped gland that forms orange “horns”.
Interesting fact: “Horns” serve as protection against natural enemies. The gland emits an unpleasant odor that repels predators. Caterpillars lie curled up in a ball most of the day. They disguise themselves as bird droppings so as not to attract the attention of birds.
Pupae can be gray or green. The last generation always overwinters in the pupal stage. The adult is born in the spring, when all the frosts have passed. For the first half hour, they dry the wings and thaw, and then scatter throughout the area.
So we figured out what the Swallowtail butterfly looks like. Now let's find out where the Swallowtail butterfly lives.
Breeding[edit]
The Old World swallowtail is easy to breed in captivity. Butterflies can be enticed to lay eggs in your backyard garden if it has plenty of food plants for the caterpillars. Ordinary rue is very suitable for this.
Play media
Film about the caterpillar Papilio Machaon
After collecting eggs or young caterpillars, they can be stored in a pot with holes in the top to allow air circulation. You can keep more than one caterpillar in one pot, as they do not attack each other (although they are sometimes startled by the movement of other caterpillars). They can be fed any of their food plants. Fennel is one of the easiest to grow in the wild. However, care should be taken with fennel, as well as dill, because they do not eat the hard, woody stems; they need to be fed with tender leaves. They can also be fed rue or milk parsley. Feeding with unsuitable plants will lead to death from starvation.
Caterpillars eat very quickly; they will spend their time eating or resting before resuming eating. Once sufficient size is reached, they will attach to any available structure with their silky threads. They will then remain in place until they become pupae. This will take about a day.
Once they reach the pupal stage, they can be very carefully removed from the pot and placed in a warm place. The time it takes for a butterfly to form and emerge 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 may take several months before he feels the weather is warm enough.
The pupae should not be kept on a non-permeable surface as when they close they will release some liquid, meaning the butterfly will remain wet and will not be able to fly. It is recommended to use absorbent paper, such as that used in the kitchen.
Where does the swallowtail butterfly live?
Photo: Swallowtail Butterfly
This species inhabits almost every corner of the Earth. Insects can be found in North America, southern India, North Africa, the islands of the Indian Ocean, throughout Asia; in England, moths live only in the lands of Norfolk County and in the territory extending from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea.
The Swallowtail butterfly can live in almost any conditions; any climate suits it. The butterfly was encountered in the mountains of Tibet at an altitude of 4500 meters above sea level. Such a wide geographical distribution has led to such a wide list of subspecies.
Insects love open spaces, so they prefer fields, forest edges, steppes, gardens, and tundras to polluted, noisy cities. Moths can fly at a height of 2.5 to 4 meters. They do not stay on one plant for a long time, so naturalists nicknamed them energetic butterflies.
In the north of their range, these beautiful creatures can be found in the summer; in the southern regions, the species is awake from May to September. Lepidoptera prefer not to migrate, but to stay in their native lands for the winter. Particularly large accumulations are observed on lands sown with carrots, caraway seeds, fennel, and dill.
The Orientis subspecies prefers the southern climate, Asiatica prefers the northern climate, Gorganus chose a moderately warm one. Brutannicus prefers humid environments, while Centralis and Rustaveli prefer mountainous areas. In general, the species chooses sunny areas with an abundance of flowers.
Behavior in nature
Because Swallowtails become active as daylight approaches, they have access to many colors. These large butterflies need a lot of nectar, so they can often be found in various parks and gardens.
Males are territorial insects. They choose their personal space at a dominant height. They are also no strangers to gathering in small groups, sitting on the shores of bodies of water. All individuals tend to sit on hills and tall trees. Many Swallowtails flutter at heights and show their peculiar up-and-down dance.
In nature, it is almost impossible to catch a Swallowtail at rest with all its wings spread, since the hind wings are invisible against the background of the front ones. Swallowtails can fully spread their wings when exposed to warm, bright sunlight.
What does the swallowtail butterfly eat?
Photo: Machaon
As soon as the caterpillar is born, the insect immediately begins to eat the leaves of the plant on which the egg was laid. The caterpillars feed very actively, making a significant reserve of energy precisely at this stage. Most often, umbrella species become food for species in the middle zone, such as:
- Parsley;
- Dill;
- Caraway;
- Carrots (wild or regular);
- Hogweed;
- Buten;
- Angelica;
- Prangos;
- Gorichnik;
- Fennel;
- Reznik;
- Celery;
- Bedrenets;
- Cutter;
- Girchovnitsa.
Inhabitants of other regions feed on plants of the Rutaceae family - hairy ash, Amur velvet, various types of whole leaf; Compositae: wormwood; birch: Maksimovich alder, Japanese alder. Towards the end of its development, the caterpillar's appetite decreases and it practically does not eat.
Adults feed on nectar, like most other butterflies, thanks to their long black proboscis. They are not as picky eaters as caterpillars, so they choose not only umbrella plants. To find food for themselves, moths visit different flowers.
Adults do not require a large amount of food; just a drop of flower nectar is enough for them, and they quench their thirst with morning dew. Lepidoptera obtain all the microelements necessary to maintain a tiny organism from soil containing salts or from the waste of other animals.
Features of character and lifestyle
Photo: Swallowtail butterfly from the Red Book
Butterfly activity occurs during the daytime. They also pollinate flowers that bloom only during the day. Adults live only a few weeks and, after fertilization (males) and laying eggs (females), the moths die. The summer period lasts from May to June and July-August; the southern subspecies can be found in September.
Swallowtails are very active creatures. Even when feeding with nectar, they do not fold their wings in order to fly further at any second. Individuals prone to migration fly into cities and settle in park areas, garden plots, and lawns rich in flower plants.
To find the most comfortable living conditions and places with a good food supply, moths are ready to travel vast distances. Most individuals produce two generations in a lifetime, in the north of the range - one, in the south - up to three. Adults are preoccupied with breeding offspring and try to find a partner as quickly as possible.
Interesting fact: The caterpillars of this species have impressive mouthparts. They begin to eat the leaf from the edges. Having reached the central vein, they move to the next one. They gain weight very quickly. But as soon as the individual pupates, growth is completed. Moths only need energy to fly and reproduce.
Links[edit]
- Jump up
↑ E. D. Edwards, J. Newland & L. Regan (2001).
"Papilionoidea: Papilionidae. Swallowtail." Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea, Papilionoidea
. Volume 31 of the Zoological Catalog of Australia. CSIRO Publishing. pp. 409–443. ISBN 978-0-643-06700-4. - Michael A. Salmon, Peter Marren and Basil Harley (2000). "Swallowtail - Papilio Machaon Linnaeus". Aurelian's Legacy: British Butterflies and Their Collectors
. University of California Press. pp. 252–254. ISBN 978-0-520-22963-1. - ^ abcde Collins, N. Mark; Morris, Michael G. (1985). "Papilio (Papilio) swallowtail Linnaeus, 1758". Threatened swallowtail butterflies in the world: The IUCN Red List
. Gland and Cambridge: IUCN. pp. 93–94. ISBN 978-2-88032-603-6 - via Biodiversity Heritage Library. - "Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)". BBC. Archived from the original on January 15, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
- Conservation of butterflies in Armenia. "The State of Papilio Machaon (Linnaeus, 1758) in Armenia". Butterfly conservation in Armenia
. TSE NGO. Retrieved June 9, 2022. - Paul A. Opler and James Wilson Tilden (1999). "Old World Machaon Papilio Machaon". A Field Guide to Western Butterflies
. Volume 2 of the Peterson Field Guide Series (2nd ed.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 132–133. ISBN 978-0-395-79151-6. - ^ ab "Swallowtail from the Old World". World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2022. - ^ B s d e g Adrian Hoskins. “Swallowtail.” Papilio machaon Linnaeus, 1758." Butterflies of Europe
. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
Social structure and reproduction
Photo: Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar
Since nature has given swallowtails very little time to exist, only newly born butterflies immediately begin searching for a partner. Pairs find each other thanks to the production of a pheromone, which they release into the environment.
During her short life, the female manages to lay 100-200 eggs. With each approach, she lays 2-3 spherical, light yellow eggs under the leaves or on the stems of plants. After about a week, the eggs darken and change their color to black.
Females deliberately lay one egg on different plant leaves to provide food for the newborn caterpillars. After 8-10 days, the larvae hatch and first begin to eat. At the age of about 7 weeks, the caterpillar is attached with a silk thread to the stem of the plant, the last moult occurs and the individual pupates.
The pupae remain motionless for 2-3 weeks, after which they turn into an adult butterfly. In the cocoon, most of the caterpillar's organs are destroyed, transforming into the organs of an adult. The process is reminiscent of digesting your own body in a cocoon.
Summer pupae are predominantly green, wintering ones are brown. The butterfly will remain in the pupal stage until the first warm days. When the cocoon cracks, a beautiful creature is born. The moth sits in the sun for some time and dries its spread wings, after which it goes in search of food and a partner.
Natural enemies of the swallowtail butterfly
Photo: Swallowtail Butterfly
At all stages of the insect's life cycle there is danger. The Swallowtail butterfly can become food for arachnids, birds, ants, insectivores, and small mammals. Moths are most vulnerable in the caterpillar or pupa stage. The insect manages to avoid attacks thanks to its camouflage color.
When young, the caterpillar looks like bird droppings. After the next molt, black and bright orange spots appear on the body. The colorful appearance lets predators know that the insects are not suitable for consumption. If the caterpillar senses danger, it begins to emit an unpleasant putrid smell with its horns, indicating that its taste is disgusting.
On the hind wings there are red-blue spots with a black border, resembling eyes in appearance. When the wings are spread, these spectacled spots discourage predators who want to feast on the moth. The effect is secured by elongated processes at the tips of the wings, reminiscent of tails.
Seventy years ago, moths were considered pests due to their consumption of human-grown plants. People destroyed butterflies in every possible way, treating fields with poisons and chemicals. Because of this, the number of the species quickly decreased and meeting this fluttering creature became a problematic task.
Population and species status
Photo: Machaon
The number of swallowtails is small and is directly related to the destruction of their natural habitats. On the territory of Russia, populations are considered small. Subspecies living in areas running along railroad tracks and reclamation canals are exposed to poisoning by pesticides.
The greatest damage is caused by the burning of autumn grass, which has become catastrophic on a massive scale. When grass is burned in the spring, a huge number of pupae that overwinter on plant stems are destroyed. Summer mowing of grass along highways also causes significant damage in terms of numbers.
Some of the blame falls on collectors who want to get as many rare endangered species into their collections as possible. They catch individuals either for personal sets, or for exchange with other butterfly lovers from different countries. But no one collects statistics, as well as data on the amount of damage.
Natural problems include cold weather conditions, low temperatures, early frosts, due to which the individual does not have time to pupate, and prolonged autumn, which leads to damage to the larvae by fungus and parasites. Declines in numbers are observed throughout Europe. In some countries the species is protected.
