Old world Swallowtail, Papilio machaon, male, sitting on a raspberry branch

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Old world Swallowtail, Papilio machaon, male, sitting on a raspberry branch. Papilio machaon, the Old World swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. The butterfly is also known as the common yellow swallowtail or simply the swallowtail (a common name applied to all members of the family, but this species was the first to be given the name). It is the type species of the genus Papilio. The butterfly has a strong and fast flight, but frequently pauses to hover over flowering herbs and sip nectar. It frequents alpine meadows and hillsides, and males are fond of 'hilltopping', congregating near summits to compete for passing females. At lower elevations, it can be seen visiting gardens.

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Size: 4360px × 2863px
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Photo credit: © VBrockhaus / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: butterflies, butterfly, common, endangered, falter, insect, insects, lepidopterologie, list, live, machaon, papilio, papilionidae, protected, protection, rare, red, schmetterling, schmetterlinge, schwalbenschwanz, species, swallowtail, wildlife, world, yellow