MYN / Paul Harcourt Davies / Caterpillar larvae of Southern festoon butterfly (Zerynthia polyxena cassandra) on foodplant (Aristolochia rotundifolia) Italy, May. meetyourneighbours.net project

LYNN M. STONE / Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) feeding on a Spicebush swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus) on a thistle, Durham, Connecticut, USA, August

LYNN M. STONE / Spicebush swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus) feeding on Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA, August

LYNN M. STONE / Spicebush swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus) feeding on thistle plant, Durham, Connecticut, USA, August

LYNN M. STONE / Spicebush swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus) feeding on Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) flowers, Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA, August

LYNN M. STONE / Spicebush swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus) feeding on Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) flowers, Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA, August

LYNN M. STONE / Spicebush swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus) feeding on Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) flowers, Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA, August

LYNN M. STONE / Spicebush swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus) feeding on Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) flower, Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA, August

Christian Ziegler / Thoas Swallowtail (Papilio thoas) caterpillar mimicking bird dropping, Barro Colorado Island, Panama

Alex Hyde / Common Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) feeding on Meadow Clary (Salvia pratensis) flowers. Nordtirol, Tirol, Austrian Alps, Austria, 1700 metres altitude, July.

Alex Hyde / Common Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) wing close up showing detail of scales. Nordtirol, Tirol, Austrian Alps, Austria, 1700 metres altitude, July.

Alex Hyde / Common Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) resting on Meadow Clary (Salvia pratensis) flowers, backlit. Nordtirol, Tirol, Austrian Alps, Austria, 1700 metres altitude, July.

Alex Hyde / Wide angle view of Common Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio machaon) on Viper's Bugloss / Blueweed (Echium vulgare) in alpine meadow. Nordtirol, Tirol, Austrian Alps, Austria, 1700 metres altitude, July.

Alex Hyde / Wide angle view of Common Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio machaon) resting on Viper's Bugloss / Blueweed (Echium vulgare) in alpine meadow. Nordtirol, Tirol, Austrian Alps, Austria, 1700 metres altitud...

Alex Hyde / Common Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio machaon) resting on Viper's Bugloss / Blueweed (Echium vulgare) in alpine meadow. Nordtirol, Tirol, Austrian Alps, Austria, 1700 metres altitude, July.

Alex Hyde / Common Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio machaon) basking in light with wings open on a white background. Nordtirol, Tirol, Austrian Alps, Austria, 1700 metres altitude, July.

Alex Hyde / Common Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio machaon) with wings spread on a white background. Nordtirol, Tirol, Austrian Alps, 1700 metres altitude, July.

Ernie Janes / Man photographing Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) UK, June

Ernie Janes / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) on flower, Norfolk, UK, June

Ernie Janes / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) in flower border, Norfolk Broads, UK, June

Ernie Janes / Man photographing Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) UK, June

Stephen Dalton / Scarce Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio / Iphiclides podalirius) on flowers. Umbria, Italy, April.

Stephen Dalton / Scarce Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio / Iphiclides podalirius) on flowers. Umbria, Italy, April.

Stephen Dalton / Scarce Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio / Iphiclides podalirius) on flowers. Umbria, Italy, April.

Adrian Davies / British Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio machaon) at rest. UK, July.

B&S Draker / Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly (Battus philenor) adult feeding on Texas thistle. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, May.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) male on Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus enneacanthus). Laredo, Webb County, Texas, USA, April.

Nature Production / Chrysalis of Red helen swallowtail butterfly (Papilio helenus nicconicolens) Japan

Nature Production / Child touching caterpillar larva of Chinese Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio xuthus) osmeterium exposed in defence, Japan

Nature Production / Caterpillar larva of Red helen swallowtail butterfly (Papilio helenus nicconicolens) Japan

Nature Production / Caterpillar larva of Swallowtail butterfly (Graphium doson) last instar, Japan

Pete Oxford / Red-spotted Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio anchisiades). Napo River bordering Yasuni National Park, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

Nature Production / Swallowtail butterflies (Papilio macilentus) visiting Autumn Olive flowers (Elaeagnus umbellata) Kirishima, Kagoshima, Japan, May

Florian Möllers / Male Citrus Swallowtail (Papilio demodocus) in high grass. Budongo Forest Reserve, Masindi, Uganda, Africa, December

Florian Möllers / Caterpillar (rufous larval phase) of Emperor swallowtail butterfly (Papilio / Princeps ophidicephalus) with inflated osmeterium to scare off predators. Budongo Forest Reserve, Masindi, Uganda, Africa....

Chien Lee / Fivebar Swordtail (Graphium antiphates) and Common Jay (Graphium doson) butterflies feeding on minerals on riverbank, Gunung Mulu National Park, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Common Mormon (Papilio polytes) caterpillar showing false eyespots, Kuching, Borneo, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Common Mormon (Papilio polytes) caterpillar mimicking bird dropping, Kuching, Borneo, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Rajah Brooke's Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana) pupa, Kipandi Butterfly Park, Crocker Range, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Golden Birdwing Butterfly (Troides amphrysus) caterpillar defends itself by means of foul-smelling tentacles hidden behind its head, Kipandi Butterfly Park, Crocker Range, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Birdwing Butterfly (Troides andromache) caterpillar prepares for its moult into the pupal stage, Kipandi Butterfly Park, Crocker Range, Malaysia

Chien Lee / Rajah Brooke's Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana) caterpillar entering pupal stage, Kipandi Butterfly Park, Crocker Range, Malaysia

Bernard Castelein / African swallowtail butterfly (Papilio dardanus) at rest on leaves, Jozani Chwaka Bay NP, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Thomas Marent / Swallowtail (Papilionidae) caterpillar showing false eyespots, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Thomas Marent / Rajah Brooke's Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana) butterfly male in rainforest, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Thomas Marent / Rajah Brooke's Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana) butterfly male, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Thomas Marent / Rajah Brooke's Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana) butterfly males, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Thomas Marent / Rajah Brooke's Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana) butterfly male and female, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Thomas Marent / Swallowtail Butterfly (Graphium sarpedon) feeding on minerals in sand, Gunung Leuser National Park, northern Sumatra, Indonesia

Thomas Marent / Swallowtail Butterfly (Graphium sarpedon) feeding on minerals in sand, Gunung Leuser National Park, northern Sumatra, Indonesia

Thomas Marent / Green Dragontail (Lamproptera meges) butterfly, Gunung Leuser National Park, northern Sumatra, Indonesia

Thomas Marent / Green Dragontail (Lamproptera meges) butterfly, Gunung Leuser National Park, northern Sumatra, Indonesia

Thomas Marent / Tailed Jay Butterfly (Graphium agamemnon) feeding on minerals in soil, Tanjung Puting National Park, Borneo, Indonesia

Konrad Wothe / Common Green Birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus) male feeding on flower nectar, Atherton Tableland, Queensland, Australia

Konrad Wothe / Common Green Birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus) butterfly male, Atherton Tableland, Queensland, Australia

Edwin Giesbers / Tailed jay butterfly (Graphium agamemnon) at rest with wings open

Edwin Giesbers / Lemon / Common lime swallowtail butterfly (Papilio demoleus) at rest on leaf.

Edwin Giesbers / Tailed jay butterfly (Graphium agamemnon) close-up of wing scales

LYNN M. STONE / European Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) feeding on a Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio glaucus) in a cluster of Ironweed (Vernona altissima) flowers. Connecticut, USA

LYNN M. STONE / Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus), male, feeding on nectar of Pink Thistle, Illinois, USA

LYNN M. STONE / Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus), dark phase female, on Pink Thistle in tallgrass prairie remnant, Illinois, USA (an intermediate phase between the typical yellow and the entirely...

LYNN M. STONE / Black Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) at rest on leaves in meadow, Illinois, USA

LYNN M. STONE / Black Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) at rest on leaves in meadow, Illinois, USA

Hiroya Minakuchi / Tailed Jay Butterfly (Graphium agamemnon), Philippines

Pete Oxford / Ruby-spotted Swallowtail (Papilio anchisiades) camouflaged on branch, Napo River, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

Paul Harcourt Davies / Common Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) at the end of summer showing wear to the wings. Italy, Europe.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Common Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) caterpillar larva on Fennel. Italy, Europe.

Robert Thompson / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon brittannicus) resting on plant stem, Norfolk Broads, UK June

Robert Thompson / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon brittannicus) resting on flag iris, Norfolk Broads, UK June

Robert Thompson / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon brittannicus) on Ragged robin flowers, newly emerged from chrysalis, Norfolk Broads, UK June

Robert Thompson / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon brittannicus) chrysalis anchored on to branch by thread, Norfolk Broads, UK June

Robert Thompson / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon brittannicus) resting on Ragged robin flowers, Norfolk Broads, UK June

Robert Thompson / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon brittannicus) emerging from pupa, Norfolk Broads, UK June

Adrian Davies / Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio machaon) Captive bred specimen. Found throughout Europe and N Africa except the UK where it is restricted to a very small part of East England in Norfolk Broads.

Adrian Davies / Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio machaon) Captive bred specimen. Found throughout Europe and N Africa except the UK where it is restricted to a very small part of East England in Norfolk Broads.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor) feeding on flowering Texas thistle (Cirsium texanum) Fennessey Ranch, Refugio, Coastal Bend, Texas Coast, USA

Rolf Nussbaumer / Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor) covered in dew at rest on flower, Fennessey Ranch, Refugio, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA

Stephen Dalton / Scarce swallowtail butterfly (Iphiclides podalirius) Europe

Tim Laman / Great mormon butterfly (Papilio memnon) feeding on Ixora flowers, Borneo, Malaysia

Murray Cooper / Thoas Swallowtail (Papilio thoas) reflected in puddle, Amazon, Ecuador

Murray Cooper / Thoas Swallowtail (Papilio thoas) butterfly pair mating, Ecuador

Adrian Davies / Tailed jay butterfly (Graphium agamemnon) at rest on leaf, USA

Paul Harcourt Davies / Common Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) close-up of head with coiled proboscis, Italy

Stephen Dalton / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) hatching from chrysalis, controlled conditions

Stephen Dalton / Swallow tail butterfly (Papilio machaon) in flight, UK

Luiz Claudio Marigo / Pair of King / Thoas Swallowtail butterflies (Papilio thoas) mating, Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso State, Center-west of Brazil.

Doug Wechsler / Late instar caterpillar larva of Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly(Papilio troilus) mimicking a bird dropping, New Jersey, USA

Doug Wechsler / Caterpillar larva of Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly(Papilio troilus) mimicking a bird dropping, New Jersey, USA

Dietmar Nill / Scarce swallowtail butterfly (Iphiclides podalirius) pupa, Germany

Inaki Relanzon / Scarce swallowtail butterfly (Iphiclides podalirius), Pyrenees, Spain. May

Stephen Dalton / Chinese peacock butterfly {Papilio bianor} in flight, from Asia.

Stephen Dalton / Blue swallowtail butterfly {Papilio peranthus} in flight, from East Indies

Stephen Dalton / Chinese peacock butterfly {Papilio bianor} in flight, from Asia.

Stephen Dalton / Swallowtail butterfly {Papilio pericles} in flight, from SE Asia

Stephen Dalton / Chinese peacock butterfly {Papilio bianor} in flight, Asia

Stephen Dalton / Blue swallowtail butterfly {Papilio peranthus} in flight, East Indies