Jurgen Freund / Timelapse of a Cairns birdwing (Ornithoptera euphorion) butterfly caterpillar metamorphosing into a chrysalis, Queensland, Australia, April.

Jussi Murtosaari / Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo) in flight, Foglo, Ahvenanmaa / Aland Islands, Finland, July.

Jussi Murtosaari / Mountain Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo) male flying across road, Aland Islands, Finland, July.

Jussi Murtosaari / Mountain Apollo (Parnassius apollo) in flight, southwest Finland, February, July.

Paul Harcourt Davies,Paul Harcourt Davies / Common Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) backlit showing wing structure. Podere Montecucco, Orvieto, Umbria, Italy, October

Paul Harcourt Davies,Paul Harcourt Davies / Apollo butterfly (Parnasius apollo) feeding on flower, Mount Terminillo, Rieti, Lazio, Italy, July 2011

Nick Garbutt / RF- Adult male Rajah Brooke's Birdwing butterfly (Trogonoptera brookiana) basking in pool of sunlight. Dipterocarp rainforest, Danum Valley, Sabah, Borneo. (This image may be licensed either as rights...

Pal Hermansen / Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo) in flight over ground. Telemark, Norway. July.

Pal Hermansen / Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo). Telemark, Norway. July.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo) resting on Grass. Dolomites, Italy. June.

Jussi Murtosaari / Apollo (Parnassius apollo) butterfly female in flight over field, sphragis present following copulation. Pargas, Aboland, Finland. July 2019.

Jussi Murtosaari / Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) butterfly nectaring on Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). Jyvaskyla, Central Finland. June.

Jurgen Freund / Cairns birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera euphorion) female on flower. Queensland, Australia.

Jurgen Freund / Cairns birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera euphorion) female, close-up with proboscis rolled up. Queensland, Australia.

Jurgen Freund / Cairns birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera euphorion) chrysalis on leaf. Queensland, Australia.

Jurgen Freund / Cairns birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera euphorion) caterpillar on leaf. Queensland, Australia.

Nick Upton / European swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) nectaring on a Sea pincushion flower (Scabiosa maritima, Mondrago Natural Park, Majorca south coast, May.

Nick Upton / European swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) nectaring on a Sea pincushion flower (Scabiosa maritima, Mondrago Natural Park, Majorca south coast, May.

Robert Thompson / European swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon gorganus) Pyrenees National Park, France, June.

Robert Thompson / European swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon gorganus) Pyrenees National Park, France, June.

Doug Wechsler / Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) and Peck's skipper butterfly (Polites peckius) on swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) French Creek State Park, Pennsylvania, USA. July.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Common swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) caterpillar in early stage (2nd instar) on food plant fennel.Montecucco, Umbria, Italy

Paul Harcourt Davies / Common swallowtail (Papilio machaon) egg, Podere Montecucco, Orvieto, Italy

Dave Watts / Scarce swallowtail butterfly (Iphiclides podalirius) nectaring, La Reserve Nationale de Chasse et de Faune Sauvage du Caroux-Espinouse, France, March.

Dave Watts / Scarce swallowtail butterfly (Iphiclides podalirius) nectaring, La Reserve Nationale de Chasse et de Faune Sauvage du Caroux-Espinouse, France, March.

Ernie Janes / Common lime swallowtail (Papilio demoleus) captive.

Tim Laman / Clearwing swallowtail butterfly (Cressida cressida) Bathurst Bay, Cape Melville National Park, Cape York Peninsula, Australia

Rod Williams / Scarlet mormon butterfly (Papilio rumanzovia) captive, occurs in Philippines.

Lorraine Bennery / Swallowtail butterfly (Graphium cyrnus) Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar.

Konrad Wothe / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) in flight, Upper Bavaria, Germany, August.

Heather Angel / Chinese peacock butterfly (Papilio bianor) drinking nectar from a Hibiscus flower. To maintain position it flaps the wings which pick up pollen on their undersides from the stamens placed on the end o...

Nick Garbutt / RF - Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo) nectaring on flower. North Tyrol, Austria. June. Focus stacked image. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)

Nick Garbutt / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) in flight. North Tyrol, Austria. June.

Nick Garbutt / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) resting on Thistle (Cirsium sp). North Tyrol, Austria. June.

Nick Garbutt / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) nectaring on Meadow clary (Salvia pratensis). North Tyrol, Austria. June.

Nick Garbutt / Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo). North Tyrol, Austria. June. Focus stacked image.

Nick Garbutt / Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo) nectaring on Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare) flower. North Tyrol, Austria. June. Focus stacked image.

Ernie Janes / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) flying amongst Thistle flowers. Norfolk Broads, Norfolk, England, UK. June.

Ernie Janes / Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon), two flying amongst Thistle flowers. Norfolk Broads, Norfolk, England, UK. June.

Robin Chittenden / Eastern festoon butterfly (Zerynthia cerisy) Cyprus, April

Loic Poidevin / Scarce Swallowtail butterfly (Iphiclides podalirius) on Buenos Aires Verbena (Verbena bonariensis) flower, Vendee, France. July.

Morley Read / Timelapse of a King swallowtail (Papilio thoas) butterfly caterpillar drinking water from the surface of a leaf, ), showing bird dropping camouflage, Napo Province, Ecuadorian Amazon.

Morley Read / King swallowtail (Papilio thoas) butterfly caterpillar, showing bird dropping camouflage, Napo Province, Ecuadorian Amazon.

Steven David Miller / Cairns birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera euphorion) male resting on leaf. Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary, Queensland, Australia. Captive.

Steven David Miller / Cairns birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera euphorion) male resting on leaf. Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary, Queensland, Australia. Captive.

Steven David Miller / Cairns birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera euphorion) male resting on leaf. Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary, Queensland, Australia. Captive.

Steven David Miller / Orchard swallowtail butterfly (Papilio aegeus) male on leaf. Coffs Harbour Butterfly House, Queensland, Australia. Captive.

Steven David Miller / Cairns birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera euphorion) male nectaring on flower. Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary, North Queensland, Australia. Captive.