Swallowtail Butterfly 01

Swallowtail butterfly

Costa del Sol, Andalucia, April 2010

I think this is Europe's largest butterfly and perhaps the most iconic.  There is only a slight difference between this and the British type of Papilio machaon.  Personally, I can't see it - something to do with the black being blacker?  The British sub-species is endemic although this subspecies, gorganus, is strongly migrational and reaches the UK quite regularly. The flower is Large Blue Alkanet.

Swallowtail Butterfly 03

Swallowtail Butterfly 05

Coming into land (above)...then landed (below)...

Swallowtail Butterfly 06

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