Swallowtail, Old World swallowtail, common yellow swallowtail
With a wingspan of up to eight centimeters, the swallowtail (Papilio machaon) is a large butterfly. Its caterpillars can reach a length of over four centimeters. The pictures show older, fully grown caterpillars, one of which appears to be about to pupate.
The photos were taken in the Gorges du Pont du Diable (France), where the caterpillars had settled on fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). If you want to attract this butterfly to your garden, you should plant dill, fennel, or carrots there. And if possible, in their natural form.
Distribution
Asia, Europe, North Africa, North America
Habitats
Nutrient-poor meadows, dry grasslands, gardens
Food
The caterpillars live on and feed on various species of the umbellifer family. These include carrots, dill, and fennel, as well as parsley, lovage, and angelica.
Family
Papilionidae
Categories: Caterpillars | Insects