Question 1

What are the chances of seeing an Old World Swallowtail in Rome?

Accepted Answer

With luck. About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Old World Swallowtail sighting in Rome on a given day, based on 45 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 24th most-seen of the 289 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Question 2

When is the best time to see an Old World Swallowtail in Rome?

Accepted Answer

March–April, June and September. In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Old World Swallowtail in Rome on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months.

Question 3

What time of day is best to see an Old World Swallowtail?

Accepted Answer

Between 11 am and 2 pm. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Old World Swallowtail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Question 4

Is Rome the best place to see an Old World Swallowtail?

Accepted Answer

11th of 42. Of the 42 cities where we can rate Old World Swallowtail sightings, Rome ranks 11th at about 10%. The best odds are in Ramallah (Palestine, about 30%), Turin (Italy, about 30%) and Barcelona (Spain, about 20%).

Question 5

Which relatives of the Old World Swallowtail live in Rome?

Accepted Answer

Same family: Papilionidae. The closest relatives of the Old World Swallowtail that you can see in Rome (family Papilionidae, Swallowtails and Parnassians) are Scarce Swallowtail (about 20%) and Italian Festoon (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Question 6

Where does the Old World Swallowtail sighting chance come from?

Accepted Answer

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Old World Swallowtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Rome (45 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park	🇲🇳 Mongolia	~50%
2	Triglav National Park	🇸🇮 Slovenia	~40%
3	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	~30%
4	Vanoise National Park	🇫🇷 France	~30%
5	Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~30%
6	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	~30%
7	Ecrins National Park	🇫🇷 France	~30%
8	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
9	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	~20%
10	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
11	Picos de Europa National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
12	Sierra Nevada National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
13	Nikko National Park	🇯🇵 Japan	~20%
14	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
15	Kluane National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
16	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~20%
17	Denali National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
18	Hohe Tauern National Park	🇦🇹 Austria	~10%
19	Tatra National Park	🇸🇰 Slovakia	~10%
20	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~10%
21	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Ramallah	🇵🇸 Palestine	~30%
2	Turin	🇮🇹 Italy	~30%
3	Barcelona	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
4	Jerusalem	🇮🇱 Israel	~20%
5	Athens	🇬🇷 Greece	~20%
6	Sapporo	🇯🇵 Japan	~20%
7	Valencia	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
8	Nagoya	🇯🇵 Japan	~20%
9	Izmir	🇹🇷 Turkey	~20%
10	Lisbon	🇵🇹 Portugal	~20%

Old World Swallowtail

About the Old World Swallowtail

Recent sightings of Old World Swallowtail in Rome

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Closest Relatives at Rome

Scarce Swallowtail

Italian Festoon

Red Admiral

Geranium Bronze

Painted Lady

Small Dusty Wave

Palm Moth

Vestal

Meal Moth

Speckled Wood

Small Copper

Large White

Before you go