[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":282},["ShallowReactive",2],{"families_en:\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fparusniki":3,"alt-locale:families_en:\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fparusniki":224,"section-listing:disabled":237,"related-covers:en:":238,"section-listing:families_en:\u002Fsemeystva":239},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"coverImage":209,"description":210,"extension":211,"faq":212,"imagePrompt":222,"latinName":21,"meta":223,"navigation":224,"order":190,"pageType":225,"path":226,"publishedAt":227,"readingMinutes":228,"relatedLinks":229,"seo":230,"sitemap":233,"stem":235,"taxonRank":225,"updatedAt":234,"__hash__":236},"families_en\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fparusniki.md","Swallowtails",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":188},"minimark",[9,14,28,31,35,41,51,57,63,67,76,79,82,85,92,95,98,105,108,115,122,129,132,139,144,151,154,158,161,164,173,177,180],[10,11,13],"h2",{"id":12},"what-are-swallowtails","What are swallowtails",[15,16,17,18,22,23,27],"p",{},"Swallowtails (",[19,20,21],"em",{},"Papilionidae",") are a family of about 600 species of day-flying butterflies on every continent. They include the ",[24,25,26],"strong",{},"largest day-flying butterflies of temperate climates",": Russian species have wingspans of 6–9 cm, while tropical species reach 25–30 cm.",[15,29,30],{},"About 10–12 swallowtail species breed permanently in Russia; several more occur in the south as migrants or rare vagrants.",[10,32,34],{"id":33},"characteristic-features","Characteristic features",[15,36,37,40],{},[24,38,39],{},"Size."," All Russian swallowtails are noticeably larger than most other day-flying butterflies.",[15,42,43,46,47,50],{},[24,44,45],{},"“Tails.”"," Many species (swallowtail, scarce swallowtail) have characteristic elongated extensions — “tails” — on the hindwings. Species of the genus ",[19,48,49],{},"Parnassius"," (Apollo, clouded Apollo) lack tails.",[15,52,53,56],{},[24,54,55],{},"Slow flight."," Swallowtails fly unhurriedly with gliding movements — hence their Russian name (“parusniki,” sail-like flyers). In good weather they are easy to spot over meadows and mountain slopes.",[15,58,59,62],{},[24,60,61],{},"Osmeterium"," — chemical defense of caterpillars. When threatened, the caterpillar extends a bright forked orange or red organ with a sharp unpleasant smell from behind the head. This deters ants, spiders, and small predators. Osmeterium color varies by species.",[10,64,66],{"id":65},"swallowtail-species-in-russia","Swallowtail species in Russia",[68,69,71,72,75],"h3",{"id":70},"swallowtail-papilio-machaon","Swallowtail (",[19,73,74],{},"Papilio machaon",")",[15,77,78],{},"The best known and most widespread Russian swallowtail. Yellow with a black pattern, characteristic “tails,” and blue and red spots on the hindwings. Wingspan 6.5–8 cm.",[15,80,81],{},"Found throughout Russia’s temperate and southern zones: in meadows, fields, forest edges, gardens, and wastelands. The caterpillar is bright green with black stripes and orange spots; it feeds on umbellifers — carrot, dill, parsley, angelica, hogweed.",[15,83,84],{},"Produces 2–3 generations per summer in the south and 1–2 in the north. Overwinters as a pupa.",[68,86,88,89,75],{"id":87},"scarce-swallowtail-iphiclides-podalirius","Scarce swallowtail (",[19,90,91],{},"Iphiclides podalirius",[15,93,94],{},"Pale yellow with several dark bands and long “tails” on the hindwings. Wingspan 6–8 cm. Flight is light and swift.",[15,96,97],{},"Widespread in European Russia (except the north) and the Caucasus. Prefers warm slopes with shrubs: blackthorn, plum, cherry plum — host plants of the caterpillar. Less abundant than the swallowtail; can be rare in northern parts of the range.",[68,99,101,102,75],{"id":100},"apollo-parnassius-apollo","Apollo (",[19,103,104],{},"Parnassius apollo",[15,106,107],{},"White with red (sometimes yellow) spots on the hindwings and black spots on the forewings. Wingspan 6–9 cm. Wings are partly translucent.",[15,109,110,111,114],{},"A mountain species: lives on rocky and stony slopes with flowering stonecrops (",[19,112,113],{},"Sedum",") — the main host plant of the caterpillar. In Russia it occurs in the Urals, Altai, Sayan Mountains, and the Caucasus.",[15,116,117,118,121],{},"Listed in ",[24,119,120],{},"Russia’s Red Data Book",". Numbers are declining due to habitat degradation, collecting, and climate change. If you see one — do not catch it.",[68,123,125,126,75],{"id":124},"clouded-apollo-parnassius-mnemosyne","Clouded Apollo (",[19,127,128],{},"Parnassius mnemosyne",[15,130,131],{},"Semi-translucent white, without “tails,” with black spots and no red spots. Smaller than the Apollo — wingspan 4.5–6 cm.",[15,133,134,135,138],{},"A forest species: lives in moist deciduous forests where corydalis (",[19,136,137],{},"Corydalis",") grows — the sole host plant of the caterpillar. When corydalis finishes flowering, the caterpillar hides in forest litter.",[15,140,117,141,143],{},[24,142,120],{},". Numbers are falling due to destruction of forest tracts and logging.",[68,145,147,148,75],{"id":146},"phoebus-apollo-parnassius-phoebus","Phoebus Apollo (",[19,149,150],{},"Parnassius phoebus",[15,152,153],{},"Similar to the Apollo but lives even higher in the mountains — the alpine belt of the Altai and Sayan Mountains. It also has red spots, but the pattern differs somewhat. A rare species.",[10,155,157],{"id":156},"ecology-and-observation","Ecology and observation",[15,159,160],{},"Swallowtails are active on warm sunny days. Lowland species (swallowtail, scarce swallowtail) occur from April through August; mountain species (Apollo) mainly in July.",[15,162,163],{},"Swallowtails are most often seen on flowering meadows, along rivers, and on mountain trails. Males of many species patrol fixed routes along forest edges or slopes.",[15,165,166,167,172],{},"If you see a large yellow or white butterfly with “tails” — it is almost certainly a swallowtail. Use the ",[168,169,171],"a",{"href":170},"\u002Fen\u002Fopredelitel\u002Fpo-cvetu-krylev","wing color identifier"," to narrow down the species.",[10,174,176],{"id":175},"conservation","Conservation",[15,178,179],{},"Two Russian species — the Apollo and clouded Apollo — are protected by law. Their collection, possession, and sale are prohibited. If you find a population of these butterflies, report it to the local conservation authority or submit records to a biodiversity monitoring system.",[15,181,182,183,187],{},"More on rare species — in the ",[168,184,186],{"href":185},"\u002Fen\u002Fvidy-babochek\u002Fredkie-babochki","rare butterflies"," section.",{"title":189,"searchDepth":190,"depth":190,"links":191},"",2,[192,193,194,207,208],{"id":12,"depth":190,"text":13},{"id":33,"depth":190,"text":34},{"id":65,"depth":190,"text":66,"children":195},[196,199,201,203,205],{"id":70,"depth":197,"text":198},3,"Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)",{"id":87,"depth":197,"text":200},"Scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)",{"id":100,"depth":197,"text":202},"Apollo (Parnassius apollo)",{"id":124,"depth":197,"text":204},"Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne)",{"id":146,"depth":197,"text":206},"Phoebus Apollo (Parnassius phoebus)",{"id":156,"depth":190,"text":157},{"id":175,"depth":190,"text":176},"\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fparusniki.png","Swallowtails (Papilionidae) — a family of large, striking butterflies: swallowtail, scarce swallowtail, Apollo, and clouded Apollo.","md",[213,216,219],{"q":214,"a":215},"Why are they called swallowtails?","The name reflects their flight style: swallowtails fly slowly, gliding smoothly — like a sail catching the wind. This is especially noticeable in large species such as the swallowtail and scarce swallowtail, which are easy to study in flight.",{"q":217,"a":218},"How do swallowtail caterpillars defend themselves?","When threatened, swallowtail caterpillars extend the osmeterium from behind the head — a bright forked organ with a sharp unpleasant smell. Its color depends on the species (orange, red, yellow). The smell deters ants, spiders, and small predators.",{"q":220,"a":221},"Which swallowtails are listed in Russia’s Red Data Book?","The Apollo (Parnassius apollo) and clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) are listed in Russia’s Red Data Book. Their numbers are declining due to degradation of mountain meadows, logging, and collecting. Collection, possession, and sale of these butterflies are prohibited by law.","Photorealistic nature photo, Papilio machaon swallowtail butterfly in flight over wildflower meadow, yellow and black wings spread wide showing tail streamers, slow shutter motion blur on wings, bright summer day, 16:9",{},true,"family","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fparusniki","01.05.2026",1,null,{"title":231,"description":232},"Swallowtails (Papilionidae) — butterflies: swallowtail, Apollo, scarce swallowtail","Swallowtails — a family of large butterflies. Swallowtail, scarce swallowtail, Apollo, clouded Apollo: description, ranges, and conservation status.",{"loc":226,"lastmod":234},"27.07.2026","semeystva\u002Fparusniki","QUekrwh_2tThiTSbRgKY-JBkWMOf84DKdaudKO1OSs8",[],[],[240,245,246,251,257,263,270,276],{"title":241,"description":242,"path":243,"coverImage":244,"publishedAt":227,"order":228},"Nymphalidae","Nymphalidae — the largest family of day-flying butterflies: tortoiseshells, admirals, fritillaries, checkerspots, and satyrs.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fnimfalidy","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fnimfalidy.png",{"title":5,"description":210,"path":226,"coverImage":209,"publishedAt":227,"order":190},{"title":247,"description":248,"path":249,"coverImage":250,"publishedAt":227,"order":197},"Whites and sulphurs","Whites (Pieridae) — butterflies with white and yellow wings: large white, small white, brimstone, and black-veined white.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fbelyanki","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fbelyanki.png",{"title":252,"description":253,"path":254,"coverImage":255,"publishedAt":227,"order":256},"Blues","Blues (Lycaenidae) — small butterflies with blue, copper, or brown wings: one of the most species-rich families of day-flying butterflies.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fgolubyanki","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fgolubyanki.png",4,{"title":258,"description":259,"path":260,"coverImage":261,"publishedAt":227,"order":262},"Satyrs","Satyrs (Satyrinae) — a nymphalid subfamily with characteristic eyespots. More than 2,400 species worldwide, many in temperate regions. Specialized on grasses.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fbarkhatnitsy","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fbarkhatnitsy.png",5,{"title":264,"description":265,"path":266,"coverImage":267,"publishedAt":268,"order":269},"Tiger Moths","Tiger moths (Erebidae, subfamily Arctiinae) — brightly coloured night-flying moths with chemical defences and furry caterpillars. One of the largest moth families.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Ferebidae","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Ferebidae.png","20.07.2026",6,{"title":271,"description":272,"path":273,"coverImage":274,"publishedAt":268,"order":275},"Skippers","Skippers (Hesperiidae) — stocky butterflies with a large head and a darting flight, morphologically intermediate between typical butterflies and moths.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fhesperiidae","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fhesperiidae.png",7,{"title":277,"description":278,"path":279,"coverImage":280,"publishedAt":268,"order":281},"Giant Silk Moths","Giant silk moths (Saturniidae) — the world's largest moths, marked by eyespots on the wings. Adults do not feed and live only a few days.","\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fsaturniidae","\u002Fimages\u002Fsemeystva\u002Fsaturniidae.png",8,1787125907512]