Photoproject
Swallowtail
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Tthe Swallowtail (Papilio
machaon)
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The swallowtail is
BIG GAME, I always look for it though it has become extinct in Denmark,
or maybe because of that. Sometimes migrating specimens are observed.
So one day....
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I
have never seen it in Denmark, yet, but I have seen it in Sweden, Poland,
Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland and Greece. In Sweeden as in southern
Europe it relatively abundant. You meet single Swallowtails at flowers in
gardens, along roads, in meadows with flowers or it flies by when the family
is at the beach. |
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The Swallowtail is
a powerfull flier and lives a migrating life. Many butterflies are rather
local and stay in their place. Nymphaldae can often be seen resting and
sunbathing at the same treetrunk or stone several days in a row.
Swallowtails are not
like that. They follow lines ind the landscape: along a road, a cliffside
or a river. With pitstops at flowers along their route the y fly fast
and straight through the landscape. Some places, like at a group of nectar
rich flowers close to a cliff or a hilltop there can be several swallowtails
gathering.
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Swallowtail,
Alsace, Keyserberg, 17. July 2006.
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Flight
season and abundance |
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The
Swallowtail is widespread in Europe. From the north of Scandinavia to the
south of Spain. I occurs in the eastern parts of United Kingdom but does
not reach Ireland. |
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The Swallowtail is
a typical Peridae and overwinters as a chrysalis. Dependant of the lenght
of the summer it occurs in 1, 2 or 3 generations throughout the summer.
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The
Swallowtail emerges in early spring at the same time as the peridae, fx
A. cardamines, when the warm weather has come to stay and the dandelions
are in blosom. |
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all Swallowtails emerge at the same time, some are delayed, and you can
find first generation Swallowtails till the beginning of July. |
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Swallowtail
Haute Saone, 15. July 2006.
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Habitat |
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The caterpillar of
the Swallowtail lives on a variety of Umbelliferae and certain species
are preferred in certain areas.
To the left is a lake
in France with a few Umbelliferae at the banks. Below a bucket of flowers
on the Hilltop. The swallowtails flew along the lake banks and ended up
at the flowers at the hilltop.
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The
Umbelliferae at the lake banks were one of many breeding places for the
metapoulation and the flowers were one of the nectar sources. |
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Swallowtail
"nectar source", Ronchamp, Haute
Saone, 16. July 2006.
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Habitat,
Haute
Saone, 16. July 2006.
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Specific
adaptions |
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In
Scandinavia and England the Swallowtail is connected to hogs and fennels
and the females prefer to lay on Peucedanum palustre. Certain Palces in
Costal Sweeden the caterpillars feed on Angelica archangelica ssp. littoralis. |
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Swallowtails can be
found everywhere where there are appropriate host plants, and that is
excatly the problem: Natural Umbelliferae populations have always been
scarce and spread over large areas, so the Swallowtails are adapted to
fly long distances.
If the number of suitable
Umbelliferae falls, and the distance between them becomes to far a few
things can go wrong:
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Finding
a mating partner takes more time and is less likely to happen and the warning
colours of caterpillar and imago will not work. The swallowtail wears warning
colours. Both Imago and the caterpillar depend on a real warning and a threat
of the poison the caterpillar took in by eating poisonous Umbelliferae.
But warning colours only work if the bird recognizes them. If there are
too few Swallowtails the birds wont learn the specific pattern of neither
the caterpillar or the Imago.. |
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Swallowtail
Haute Saone, 16. July 2006.
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Larval Hostplants
and Nectar Sources
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The
Swallowtail needs a large area with both nectar sources and an abundance
of larval host plants. It does not matter much what is in between, it can
be water, urban areas or mountains. The Swallowtail can cross the hostile
areas as long as they are not too wide and lies inside a pattern of suitable
habitats. |
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Swallowtail
Alsace, Keyserberg, 18. July 2006
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The
caterpillar |
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Swallowtail
caterpillar. Gotland,
Sweden, July 2006
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Swallowtail
caterpillar. Gotland, Sweden, July 2006
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The
chrysalis |
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As seen on the pictures
the Caterpillar of the Swallowtail is very colourful and easy to find.
It often sits in the top of the host plant.
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The
mature caterpillar wanders away from the plant at hides under a leaf for
pupation.
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The
pupa is poisonous as the other instars, but as it sits still it cannot display
any warning behaviour and it is therefore camouflaged. The chrysalis comes
in three variations: a green one as to the left, a pale brown and a contrasted
light grey and black. |
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Chrysalis
of Swallowtail, Gotland, Sweden, July 2006.
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Close
up of the caterpillar |
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Swallowtail
caterpillar. Gotland,
Sweden, July 2006
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The
photo is taken with a 50 mm macro lens towards the blue sky while the caterpillars
sat sleeping in the sun. |
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