Description for "Swallowtail butterfly in Kanji"
It is a general term for butterflies belonging to the family Papilionidae.
In Japanese it is called “Agehacho”.
The reason why it is called “Ageha(あげは)cho” is that the swallowtail butterfly flutters freely and looks like it is floating in the sky.
Ecology of butterfly
It flies around freely and sucks nectar from various flowers.
They may also fly into puddles, marshes, and beaches to absorb water.
Adults live for about two weeks, during which time males and females meet and lay eggs.
The life cycle is repeated 3 to 6 times a year.
There are individual differences in size, but females are slightly larger than males, and swallowtail butterflies born in summer are generally larger than those born in spring.
Because the larvae eat the leaves of citrus fruits such as mandarin oranges, trifoliate oranges, and Japanese peppers, farmers who grow these crops treat them as pests.
Until the 4th instar larvae, they mimic the appearance of bird droppings to protect themselves from natural enemies, and the 5th instar larvae take on the well-known green color.
Fifth-instar larvae protect themselves by emitting a nose-bending odor from the eyeballs on their heads (which birds dislike) and horn-like parts called “smell horns.” When it becomes a pupa, it overwinters until the next spring, when it emerges and becomes an adult.
Distribution of butterfly
A subspecies of the Benget Swallowtail is found on Luzon Island in the Philippines.
The full opening length is about 4 to 6 cm, and the summer type that appears in summer is larger.
Adults can be seen from late March to early November.