Scarce Swallowtail

Iphiclides podalirius

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This scarce swallowtail print had to catch movement in a still image. The wings are pale cream, crossed by black wedge-shaped bars. The hindwings draw out into long tails. Those tails and the broad wing make it a glider. It sails more than it flaps, which is why some call it the sail swallowtail.

TL;DRIphiclides podalirius is a strong-gliding swallowtail of southern and central Europe. It is scarce only in Britain, where it appears as a rare migrant, not across its true range.

Key Facts

Built to glide

The scarce swallowtail is shaped for soaring. Its wings are broad and its long tails trail behind like the tail of a kite. It holds the wings flat and rides the air, flapping only to gain height. On a warm hillside you can watch it sail along a hedge for several seconds without a beat. That flight is the most striking thing about the insect, and the hardest to suggest in a drawing. I posed it with the wings fully open and the tails trailing, the shape it holds in a glide.

Reading the stripes

The bars are the discipline of the drawing. They are not parallel. Each one tapers and sits at its own angle across the wing. The pattern only works if you resist tidying it up. At the inner edge of each hindwing sits a single eyespot in blue and orange. It is the one note of saturated colour on an otherwise restrained insect. I drew the bars first, then built the cream around them, because the spacing is what the eye checks against a real specimen.

Why the tails are so long

The swallowtail family is named for the tail streamers on the hindwing, and the scarce swallowtail carries some of the longest. They are not decoration. They work with the eyespot as a decoy. A bird aims for the bright spot and the moving tail, and strikes the expendable rear of the wing instead of the body. A swallowtail with a torn tail has usually survived an attack the decoy redirected. I drew the tails intact, but the logic behind them is worth knowing.

Scarce in name only

The name misleads. Iphiclides podalirius is scarce only from a British point of view, where it turns up now and then as a migrant. Across southern and central Europe it is common, especially near blackthorn and old orchards where its caterpillars feed. The caterpillars eat Prunus, the group that includes blackthorn, cherry, and plum. That ties the butterfly to hedgerows and fruit trees, the same plants the naturalist illustrators have drawn for centuries.

A butterfly of the south

The scarce swallowtail favours warm, open country. It likes orchards, scrubby hillsides, and the edges of vineyards across southern and central Europe. You see it most in high summer, gliding at head height along a sunny hedge. It often returns to the same flowering plants to feed, so a patient watcher can wait for it to pass again. In the warmer parts of its range it raises two broods a year, the second on the wing into early autumn. The butterfly is tied to the same orchard country that has fed European kitchens for centuries.

Drawing the scarce swallowtail print

The scarce swallowtail print rests on balance. The insect is large and pale, so any heaviness in the bars throws it off. I kept the black crisp but thin, and let the cream carry most of the wing. The eyespot is the only place I allowed full colour. The tails needed a single clean line each, because a wobble there reads as a mistake rather than a streamer. A large pale subject hides nothing, so every edge had to be right. That discipline is the heart of the natural-history illustration tradition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called the scarce swallowtail?

It is scarce only in Britain, where it appears as a rare migrant. Across southern and central Europe it is common.

Why does the scarce swallowtail have long tails?

The tails work with the hindwing eyespot as a decoy, drawing a predator strike away from the body.

What size does this scarce swallowtail print come in?

It is a digital download. Print it at A4, A3, or a standard frame size, at home or any print shop.

How is this botanical art printed and how is it shipped?

The digital file comes from Etsy and you print it yourself. A ready-made archival fine-art print, produced and shipped to you, is available through Saatchi Art.

What do scarce swallowtail caterpillars eat?

Prunus species, including blackthorn, cherry, and plum, which ties the butterfly to hedgerows and orchards.

The Scarce Swallowtail Gift Shop

The scarce swallowtail drawing carried onto pieces for everyday use: a mug for the desk, a tote for the bag, an apron for the kitchen, a notebook for study.

Printed on demand and shipped worldwide by Redbubble. Each purchase supports an independent artist.