What a sensational delight!

[SpongeDiver]

This morning, while doing the Autumn garden clean-up, I saw a Swallowtail butterfly!

This species, as far as I know is extremely rare in TRNC - in fact, probably all Cyprus.

She was magnificent and I watched her for several minutes, as she flitted and hovered over the lemon tree.

here's what Wiki tells us about this species: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallowtail_butterfly

The photo below is the one I saw - isn't she beautiful!

[Becker]

Yes SpongeDiver,absolutely beautiful. Have seen quite a few this year,certainly more than the previous years that we have lived here. Don't know if you walk the mountains,it seems there are different species at various altitudes. Of all of them,this is the largest of them,all being beautiful. Great pic. My wife just reminded me,she has one pressed that was rescued from ants,was dead on the drive. No idea how it died,in perfect condition though.

[muffin1]

We have Swallowtail Butterflies in our garden every Summer. We have found that they love parsley and in fact lay their eggs on it, so we plant a trough each year for them. The caterpilllars are so colourful - very large, bright orange with blue and black markings, We tried to protect a separate trough of parsley this year, with netting, for our use, but the butterflies sat on the netting and laid their eggs through it so that was the end of that! Well worth encouraging if you enjoy butterfly watching.

[rocking]

Beautiful.

[sophie]

Wonderful and Fabulous, we have had just one this year It puts all the crap and rubbish dumped by these unthinking idiots into perspective - will sort of!!! Protect what you have, otherwise they will think of a reason for shooting it.

[mrsgee]

We have had lots in our garden this year, more than ever, and they are indeed beautiful. They seem to be very attracted to our lantana.....and to each other.....after observing 2 of them putting on quite a mating show......I love them.

[mikelapta]

Yes,so lovely and plenty in my garden in Lapta.Must confess 60 years ago İ lived on Portland in Dorset,and priviledged to see a few there..the ones with pronounced blue/red on the tail...and coincidentally today.in Lapta it must have been the big brown species was flyıng around my garden

[Hippocampus]

Spongediver, thanks for the lovely pic. Muffin, will try the parsley, although we do have lantana already but no swallowtails!

[Groucho]

Took this shot in April - they are not rare here but they are lovely.

Click on the image to see it more clearly...

[mrsgee]

Managed to find a picture I took earlier in the year, on the lantana in the garden (hope this works, I havent put a picture on before!!).....oh dear, its says the file is too big........will try again later to work out how to do it. Sorry folks

[SpongeDiver]

mrsgee - use this website to re-size your photos before posting them - re-size to not more than 250kb, as Mr. Soner suggests - hope this info. helps!

http://picresize.com/results

Look forward to seeing your photo(s), and thanks in anticipation!

[erol]

Some nice (copyrighted) pictures of this butterfly in all its stages here

http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/papilio/anise.htm

[dippersgirl]

I found they love Lantana and I have loads of those, trying to grow a hedge down our drive and also found out about the parsley, especially curly parsley!!
Love all your photos!!! Will find mine and post some.

Groucho, what is the plant??? I would love some!!! Coming to Çatalköy at the end of Nov, maybe I could scrounge a bit????

[Bonnie]

Groucho, Thank you, That is indeed a most glorious butterfly, rare or otherwise, & a very good photo.
A few years ago here I saw a very large butterfly, so large at first I thought it was a small bird. It was bright daffodil yellow. I only saw it in flight not settled with open wings.
I've looked at many web sites but have never been able to identify it. Any ideas?

[PapaSquidge]

What a lovely post, makes such a refreshing read compared to some of the drivel on here. Thank you.

[mrsgee]

Thanks for the link Spongediver.....I must be a bit thick though......cannot work out how to do it.....hey ho. Sorry you will have to just imagine a lovely butterfly sitting on very colourful red and orange lantana ........ thanks anyway.

[SpongeDiver]

Bonnie - the butterfly you saw is most probably the 'Painted Lady'; these are quite prolific in Cyprus. The butterflies that show preference to the red and orange flowered Lantana are 'Tortoiseshells' - sometimes a small species of 'Peacock' can frequent Lantana, though it's smaller and has less vibrant colours than its English 'cousin', as does the Cypriot 'Red Admiral' - also the ubiquitous 'Cabbage White' is smaller, as is the 'Meadow Brown'. These are merely my own observations!

[mrsgee]

Trying again....

[mrsgee]

Woooooo......did it!!!!!! Hope you like the pic.

[Bonnie]

SpongeDiver. Thankyou for your reply. I clicked on the link you provided and it definitely wasn't a Painted Lady. However from your link I was able to access other sites & believe I may have identified it as a Clouded Yellow. Whatever it was it was a beautiful thing.
I've looked & looked when the butterflies are prolific around the Lantana but have never been privileged to see another.
Agree with PapaSquidge, a really lovely post. Thankyou all for your input & beautiful pics.

[Groucho]

I may have identified it as a Clouded Yellow.

Clouded yellows are very numerous at this time of year..

[frontalman]

We have been here since 2004 and have seen plenty every year so I don't think they can be described as rare. They are, however, beautiful.