The Homerus Swallowtail (Papilio homerus) is the largest butterfly in the Americas with a forewing length of about 75 mm. Endemic to Jamaica, this black and yellow butterfly lives in virgin forest on mountain slopes, but loss of its habitat due to expanding agriculture and mining, and over-collecting threaten its future.
Meet the Natewa Swallowtail
Fiji is home to just two species of swallowtail – amongst them the Natewa Swallowtail, a large and elegant black and cream butterfly. The species was first spotted in 2017 by ornithologist Greg Kerr and it was the Swallowtail and Birdwing Butterfly Trust (SBBT) who recognised it as new to science in 2018. Building on […]
Meet the British Swallowtail
Papilio machaon britannicus – Martin Partridge The British Swallowtail Papilio machaon britannicus is a rare subspecies of Swallowtail now confined to the Norfolk Broads, an extensive area of wetlands in East Anglia in the UK. Its caterpillars feed solely on Milk-parsley, which grows in the fens and marshes of the Broads. The only species of […]
Crafting the future of swallowtail conservation
Kelzang Choden is a shop owner and artist from Khaling in Bhutan. We spoke to her about how creativity and community can make a difference for conservation. After graduating from Sherubtse College, Kelzang started running a small grocery shop just outside of Sherubtse. Alongside managing the shop, Kelzang started knitting and her work attracted the […]
How can chocolate save butterflies?
There are nearly 600 species of swallowtails and birdwings across the world, but sadly, many of these spectacular butterflies are under threat. One of the biggest challenges they face is destruction of their habitat, often due to deforestation, drainage and intensive agriculture. But agro-ecotourism projects which put the community at the heart of their work […]
