Wednesday 17 July 2019

Swallowtail Pestering


Photographed by Susan Walter. Tour the Loire Valley with a classic car and a private guide.
Swallowtail chrysalis.

One of the rewards of not mowing the orchard until the autumn is that Swallowtail Papilio machaon (Fr. Machaon) can successfully breed there. Their chrysalises, low down in the vegetation, are in no danger of being destroyed by me, although I do have to watch out for their caterpillars, on Wild Carrot Daucus carota (Fr. Carotte), and have been known to mow around them.

Photographed by Susan Walter. Tour the Loire Valley with a classic car and a private guide.
Newly emerged Swallowtail.

The other day I encountered a newly emerged Swallowtail. That would have been reward enough, but some very odd behaviour was being displayed by a different butterfly in the vicinity. The Swallowtail was being repeatedly landed on by a Marbled White Melanargia galanthea (Fr. Demi-deuil). No idea what it was about, but it clearly bothered the Swallowtail. It seemed like some sort of attack or insistent demand for attention.

Photographed by Susan Walter. Tour the Loire Valley with a classic car and a private guide.
Newly emerged Swallowtail being pestered by a male Marbled White.

Photographed by Susan Walter. Tour the Loire Valley with a classic car and a private guide.
Repeatedly.

Photographed by Susan Walter. Tour the Loire Valley with a classic car and a private guide.


************************************************

For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos. 

6 comments:

Colin and Elizabeth said...

Brilliant photographs.

Susan said...

Thank you. The subjects were quite obliging, which always helps, plus lots of light.

Rhodesia said...

What a great set of photos, well done. Happy day, Diane

Katie Zeller said...

I don't know what they are (and don't really care lol) but I have hundreds of little butterflies among my blooming herbs. It's such a treat to watch them all. And hummingbird moths, too.

Susan said...

Many herbs are very attractive to butterflies.

Susan said...

Thanks Diane.

Post a Comment