Swallowtail

The hindwing tails had to remain narrow enough to look structural, not ornamental. I drew the two wings separately, so the blue crescents, red ocelli and black borders shift slightly from side to side. Those small differences keep the butterfly wall art tied to an observed specimen rather than a mirrored emblem. The open dorsal pose also exposes the full yellow cell pattern without hiding the dark body beneath it. Its wider natural history is told in the Old World swallowtail study.

In shortPapilio machaon is a large swallowtail distributed across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Its caterpillars feed on plants in the carrot family and carry a forked scent organ for defence. The plate shows the adult from above with fully spread wings and both tails intact.

Key Facts

Why does the swallowtail have tails and eyespots?

Swallowtail hindwing tails and eyespots can redirect a predator’s attack toward expendable wing tissue. They do not make the butterfly invulnerable, but they can draw attention away from the head and thorax. The red ocellus near each hindwing corner and the adjacent blue crescents sit close to the long tail, forming a concentrated signal at the rear. A bird may strike that area while the butterfly escapes with torn scales or a shortened tail. The markings also contribute to recognition between butterflies at close range.

In the plate, the black border frames these features and separates them from the pale yellow wing cells. The tails end in sharp points, yet the outer margins remain scalloped rather than straight. That combination gives the lower wings their distinct outline even before colour is considered.

What do swallowtail caterpillars eat, and how do they defend themselves?

Swallowtail caterpillars feed on plants in the carrot family, Apiaceae, and defend themselves with an osmeterium. This forked orange organ everts from behind the head when the larva is disturbed. It releases a strong odour that can discourage ants and small vertebrate predators. Across continental Europe, larvae often use wild carrot and fennel, along with dill, angelica and related plants. Eggs are laid singly, which spreads the developing larvae across suitable stems and leaves.

Young caterpillars look dark and bird-dropping-like; later stages become green with black bands and orange spots. The colour shift follows growth rather than a change of species. Host plants connect the butterfly to kitchen gardens, roadsides and open grassland. The swallowtail pollination article follows the adult among flowers, while the larval stage depends on foliage.

Where and when does Papilio machaon live?

Papilio machaon occupies open, sunny habitats across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Its exact habitat changes with subspecies and region. Continental populations use meadows, hillsides, roadsides, wetlands and gardens where larval foodplants remain available. Adults visit nectar flowers and often move with strong wingbeats followed by glides. In warmer areas, more than one generation may fly between spring and late summer. In cooler or northern places, the season can be shorter.

British native populations are a special wetland form tied to milk-parsley in the Norfolk Broads, so their ecology should not be treated as a model for the whole species. Across the wider range, the common requirement is a connected landscape containing both Apiaceae for caterpillars and nectar flowers for adults.

How does the swallowtail life cycle change through the year?

The swallowtail passes through egg, caterpillar, pupa and adult, with the pupa carrying many temperate populations through winter. A female places single eggs on a suitable host plant, and the larva begins feeding after hatching. It grows through several instars before fastening itself upright for pupation with a silk girdle around the body. The chrysalis can be green or brown, helping it merge with stems and dry vegetation.

Spring adults begin the next breeding cycle, while summer generations may develop more quickly where warmth allows. The adult does not continue growing after emergence. Its wings expand and harden once, then collect wear through flight, weather and contact with vegetation. Small losses from the tail or margin therefore remain as a record of the adult season.

Why do swallowtail populations depend on varied open landscapes?

Swallowtails persist where larval foodplants, nectar sources and suitable management remain connected. Local populations decline when wetlands are drained, flower-rich grassland is simplified, or herb-rich margins are cut repeatedly during development. The species is widespread globally, but that broad range can hide severe regional losses and highly specialised subspecies. Conservation must therefore follow local ecology rather than one universal recipe.

In fen systems, maintaining open wet vegetation protects milk-parsley and the British race. In continental landscapes, retaining Apiaceae, unmown refuges and varied flowering periods can support breeding and adult feeding. The butterfly is mobile, yet isolated habitat patches still limit successful reproduction. A strong flight cannot compensate for a landscape that lacks the plants required by eggs, caterpillars and adults.

Drawing the swallowtail

I placed the body on a central vertical axis and opened the wings fully, but I did not mirror one side onto the other. The left forewing carries a different balance of yellow cells and black scaling from the right. The blue crescents also change in width as they cross the scalloped hindwing margins. I reworked the tails and the blue band most closely, because those passages turn a flat pattern into a structure with direction.

The black veins thicken toward the body and outer borders, then narrow through the yellow fields. Each hindwing ends in a red ocellus beside a long dark tail. Fine brown and grey hairs soften the thorax, while the abdomen forms a narrow striped centre between the wings. I left the cream ground empty and kept the handwritten P. machaon beneath the specimen. A photograph can record a resting butterfly under one light. The hand-drawn digital illustration holds the full dorsal pattern open and keeps small left-to-right differences visible.

Where does swallowtail butterfly wall art work?

The broad wingspan suits a study, dining room, kitchen or living room where the plate has clear space on both sides. Black, pale oak and walnut frames all echo colours already present in the specimen. The drawing belongs to The Naturalist collection and appears in the above-the-couch guide, where a wide insect form can anchor a horizontal wall. In the photograph below, swallowtail, monarch and Apollo plates form a three-print kitchen grouping. Equal frame sizes keep their different wing shapes connected. The studio can also plan the swallowtail within coordinated hospitality projects.

Fine-art print →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Papilio machaon the Old World swallowtail?

Yes. Papilio machaon is widely called the Old World swallowtail or common yellow swallowtail. The name covers a species with many regional subspecies. Their habitats and markings vary, but the yellow ground, black pattern, blue hindwing marks, red ocelli and paired tails remain central to the adult form.

Why does a swallowtail butterfly have long tails?

The tails form part of a concentrated hindwing signal that can draw a predator toward the rear of the butterfly. An attack there may remove scales or part of a tail while sparing the head and thorax. The strategy is not guaranteed, but damaged adults are often able to continue flying.

Which plants do swallowtail caterpillars eat?

Larvae use plants in the carrot family, Apiaceae. Suitable hosts vary by region and subspecies. Continental populations may use wild carrot, fennel, dill and angelica, while the native British wetland form depends on milk-parsley. Adults have different needs and visit many flowers for nectar.

Does the swallowtail plate show the upper or lower wing surface?

It shows the dorsal, or upper, surface with all four wings spread. This view makes the black venation, yellow cells, blue marginal crescents, red hindwing ocelli and two tails visible together. The underside is paler and is not represented as a separate view in this composition.

How is this print made, and how does it reach me?

There are two formats. The digital download is a high-resolution file that you print yourself, at home or at a print shop; no physical item is shipped. The fine-art print is printed to order on archival paper or canvas, framed or unframed, in sizes from small prints to over 150 cm (60 inches), and delivered to your door.