The Scarce Swallowtail seems to derive its English name from the fact that it is rare in England, turning up only occasionally on the south coast. In the south of France on the other hand, this is one of the commonest butterflies you will see. They are constantly flying past you both in town and countryside. The only challenge is finding some wild flowers where they will actually stop and nectar. I saw a couple of regular papilio machaon (gorganus not brittanicus) on the wing but podalirius by far the most common species. Still an impressive sight!
I know it is an invertebrate but the Scarce Swallowtail seems to have a very long and flexible "neck" or thorax I suppose which it can bend to help get the proboscis into the flowers.
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