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Animal profile

Old World Swallowtail

Papilio machaon

InsectaMeadows, fens, alpine slopes and open ground with umbellifer host plantsLeast Concern

Field profile

A large yellow swallowtail with black veining and blue and red markings near the tails. Caterpillars feed on carrot-family plants. In Britain it survives as a specialised subspecies confined almost entirely to the Norfolk Broads.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-04-24

Old World Swallowtail

The caterpillar flicks out a forked orange horn

Threaten a swallowtail caterpillar and a bright forked organ everts behind its head, releasing a sharp smell. The osmeterium is a defensive gland, and its chemistry differs depending on which plant family the larva eats.

Read with evidence →

Old World Swallowtail | Daily Animal Facts