British Swallowtail

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Papilio machaon ssp. britannique

Confined only to Norfolk Broads.

The Caterpillar spends the first part of its life with the appearance of a bird dropping, an effective defense against predators.

As the Caterpillar grows larger, it becomes green with black and orange markings.

The Larvae feeds on Milk Parsley.

The imago typically has yellow wings with black vein markings, and a wingspan of 65–86 millimetres (2.6–3.4 in).

The hindwings of both sexes have a pair of protruding tails which give the butterfly its common name from the resemblance to the birds of the same name.

Just below each tail is one red and six blue eye spots.

Flight period is late May-July.