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Papilio machaon
Old World swallowtail, common yellow swallowtail, swallowtail
Papilio machaon is a widespread swallowtail butterfly found across the Palearctic and North America. It is the type species of the genus Papilio and was among the first butterflies described by Linnaeus in 1758. The species exhibits considerable geographic variation with 41 recognized subspecies, including endemic forms in Britain and Malta. While globally abundant, certain populations are of conservation concern, particularly the British subspecies P. m. britannicus which is restricted to specific fenland habitats.