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I captured this series of photographs for La Vanguardia’s Readers’ Photos in a sunflower field on the outskirts of Vic, where the macaón butterfly was having a pollinating feast.
The macaón is one of the best-known and most beautiful butterflies in Europe, although its population has decreased for several decades due to the use of pesticides on crops. Collectors also look for them.
Its habitat ranges from sea level to 2000 meters of altitude. In fact, it is not unusual to see concentrations of males on mountain peaks.
It has a wingspan between 32 and 80 mm and is characterized by its black and cream-yellow wings, as seen in the photographs. The lower wings have red ocelli and have tails, which is why they are known as swallowtails.
In this case the butterfly has teamed up with the sunflower, a herbaceous plant that is not very demanding on the type of soil, although it prefers sandy clay and rich in organic matter. But it is essential that the soil has good drainage and the water table is shallow.
