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Southern Swallowtail
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Samos, Greece, June 2002 |
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Samos, Greece, June 2002 |
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Southern
Swallowtail Distribution: SE France (plus neighbouring Italy), Greece and its islands. Low levels, rising to 1000m or more in hills. Identification: Distinctive, but to aid separation with the other Swallowtails please see the key to the Papilio. The tiger stripes are reminiscent of the Scarce Swallowtail, Iphiclides podalirius but that butterfly has a white or pale cream ground colour rather than yellow and the tiger stripes are paired.. Flight time: From April in hotter places, more usually June and into July. Habitat: Hilly country, with hot dry slopes. Often with open woodland. Larvae take various Umbelliferae (Carrots). Behaviour: Often seen gliding about open woodland. Frequently takes nectar from Thistles and Red Valarian. It feeds while resting its legs on the flower for stability but fluttering rapidly to take the weight. In flight it is not easily distinguished from the Swallowtail, Papilio machaon with which it can fly but there noticeably less black on the wings which make a closer inspection worth while! Additional notes: Formerly recorded from NE Sicily, but no recent records. |
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Samos, Greece, June 2002 |
