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For Angelina
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
I saw this swallowtail and my thoughts were of Angelina who loves her butterflies.
I chased this around a hillside saying please stop so I can get my first capture.
Must have looked like they had let a mad English woman loose.
Although not the best of shots I dedicate my first butterfly to Angelina
The Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon), is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. The butterfly is also known as the Common Yellow Swallowtail or, simply, The Swallowtail (a common name applied to all members of the family). It is the type species of the genus Papilio and occurs throughout the Palearctic region in Europe and Asia; it also occurs across North America, and thus is not restricted to the Old World, despite the common name
Description
This striking butterfly is yellow with black wing and vein markings and a wingspan of 8 to 10 cm. The hind wings of both sexes have a pair of protruding tails which give the butterfly its common name. Just below each tail is a red eye spot.
Distribution
This butterfly is present throughout the entire Palearctic region through Russia to China and Japan (including the Himalayas and Taiwan) and across into Alaska, Canada, and the United States. In Asia it is reported as far south as Saudi Arabia, Oman and the high mountains of Yemen.
In Southern Asia it occurs in Pakistan and Kashmir, Northern India (Sikkim, to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh) Nepal, Bhutan and northern Myanmar.
This butterfly is widespread in Europe but in the United Kingdom it is limited to a few areas in the Norfolk Broads of East Anglia. It is the UK's largest resident butterfly. The Monarch Danaus plexippus is slightly larger but is only a rare vagrant.
Taxonomy
There are 37 subspecies.
• Papilio machaon gorganus is strongly migratory in Europe and can be found in almost all habitats.
• In the UK, P. m. brittanicus is an endemic subspecies, but occasionally individuals of the continental subspecies gorganus breed temporarily on the south coast. Subspecies brittanicus differs from the continental subspecies in being more heavily marked in black.
• The Maltese Islands are home to another endemic subspecies, P. m. melitensis. |
nardophoto, angybone has marked this note useful
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I didn't see this before! I'm glad I see it now.
Oh its beautiful!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! It's going into my theme. :)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 50 W: 4 N: 146]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif){kind=small}
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1191 W: 14 N: 2371]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif){kind=small}
Foto notevole di questo Macaone ed ottima nota.
Ciao e grazie.
Angelo