Old World swallowtail

About

The Old World swallowtail is one of the largest and most beautiful butterflies in Ukraine, with a wingspan of up to 94 mm; females are larger than males. The wings are yellow, with black veins and spots and a wide black border, and on the hindwings, there are blue and yellow spots, black 'tails,' and a reddish eye spot in the corner. In the Carpathians, the Old World swallowtail can be seen in flowering meadows, forest edges, gardens, and fields where umbelliferous plants grow.

In the temperate climate, particularly in Ukraine, the Old World swallowtail has two generations per year, while in the mountains and the north, there is only one. The female, hovering in the air, lays eggs one by one on the host plants. The caterpillar primarily feeds on umbellifers — carrot, dill, caraway, hogweed — as well as rue, ash tree, wormwood, and woodruff.

The caterpillar of the Old World swallowtail changes as it grows. The young one is velvety black with a white spot on its back and resembles bird droppings, so birds do not touch it. The adult is light green with black transverse stripes and red spots. When disturbed, it protrudes two orange-red horns from behind its head, which smell sharp and repel ants and birds. The Old World swallowtail overwinters as a pupa.

Development in warm weather is rapid: the egg matures in 3–5 days, and the caterpillar and pupa each take 1–2 weeks, depending on the temperature. Summer pupae are yellowish or green, and their color depends on what they hang on, while winter pupae are light brown. The butterfly was named by Carl Linnaeus in honor of Machaon — a physician, son of Asclepius, a hero of the Trojan War from ancient Greek myths.

In the Red Data Book of Ukraine 2009, the Old World swallowtail had the status of a vulnerable species, but it is not included in the current list of 2021. Regionally, it is protected in the Carpathians and several regions. If you find a caterpillar of the Old World swallowtail on dill or carrot, leave it: it will become a large butterfly.

Where in the Carpathians

The map shows where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records), not every place it lives. The Ukrainian Carpathians are less studied, so a blank area does not mean the species is absent.

Countries

Hungary · Ukraine · Romania · Austria · Slovakia · Poland · Czechia

Mountain ranges

Gorgany, Pokuttia-Bukovina Carpathians, Chornohora, Bükk, Bucegi Mountains, Maramureș Mountains, Mátra, Börzsöny and Cserhát, Polonynian Ridge, Vihorlat-Gutin Volcanic Ridge

Altitude belts

Foothills (below 600 m) · Beech forests (600–1200 m)

When to see it

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Protection and rules

Not included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine 2021 (listed as vulnerable in 2009); regionally protected in the Carpathians.

Red Data Book of Ukraine

FAQ