My Butterfly

My Butterfly is an amazing realistic animation in a jar. ; Facts about the Monarch Butterfly: ; ; Now you can have your own striking swallowtail butterfly with its yellow black wing and vein markings and a wingspan of 8 to 10 cm. The hind wings of both sexes have a pair of protruding tails which give the butterfly its common name from the resemblance to the birds of the same name. Just below each tail is a red eye spot. ; The Yellow swallowtail butterfly is widespread in Europe. In the United Kingdom it is limited to a few areas in the Norfolk Broads of East Anglia. ; It is the UK's largest resident butterfly. The Monarch Danaus plexippus is slightly larger but is only a rare vagrant. ; It has a strong and fast flight but frequently pauses to hover over flowering herbs and sip nectar. ; It frequents the alpine meadows and hillsides and is fond of 'hilltopping'. At lower elevations it can also be seen visiting gardens. ; The caterpillar stage spends the first part of its life with the appearance of a bird dropping an effective defense against predators. ; As the caterpillar grows larger it becomes green with black and orange markings. ; The caterpillar still has a defense against predators in the form of an organ called an osmeterium which consists of retractable fleshy projections behind its head that can release a foul smell if disturbed. ; Some will pupate and emerge in the same year and others will overwinter as pupae before emerging the following year a situation known as being partially double brooded. ; In the UK the Yellow Swallowtail usually feeds on the milk parsley weed (also know as Marsh Hog's Fennel) or wild angelica and this is where you will find their eggs.