''Parnassius staudingeri hunza'', the
Karakoram
The Karakoram is a mountain range in Kashmir region spanning the borders of Pakistan, China, and India, with the northwest extremity of the range extending to Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Most of the Karakoram mountain range falls under the ...
banded Apollo, is a high-altitude butterfly which is found in
India. It is a member of the genus ''
Parnassius'' of the swallowtail family,
Papilionidae. It was variously treated as a
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
of ''
P. delphius'' and a distinct
species. The subspecies was
first described by
Grigory Grum-Grshimailo in 1888.
Description
Male upperside ground colour duller, more sullied white. Forewing: the discal band in typical specimens very much shorter, not extended below vein 5, but in all specimens observed, the discal band reaches vein 1, and where it crosses interspace 3 is joined onto the postdiscal transverse band by a broad cross-bar, that extends right up to the base of that interspace. Hindwing: the sub-terminal series of dark spots reduced to one or two near the tornus, the anterior spots (except the spot in interspace 7) replaced by a curved band of somewhat luuulur spots that extends unbroken between the spot in interspace 3 and that in interspace 7. Underside: similar to the underside in ''
Parnassius stoliczkanus
''Parnassius stoliczkanus'', the Ladakh banded Apollo, is a rare high-altitude butterfly which is found in Central Asia. It is a member of the snow Apollo genus (''Parnassius'') of the swallowtail family. It is named after the naturalist and exp ...
'', with no red spots at the base of the hindwing; in a few specimens a discal and a subcostal black-encircled red spot are present. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen as in ''stoliczkanus''.
Range
It is seen in
Afghanistan,
Pakistan, northern
India (including
Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to:
* Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent
* Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory
* Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...
,
Himachal Pradesh and
Uttarakhand), western
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
(?),
Tibet (?).
Status
It is widely distributed. Locally common, generally rare. Not known to be threatened. Requires further research. This butterfly is protected by law in India and was featured in the erstwhile USSR Red Data Book as being vulnerable.
See also
*
Papilionidae
*
List of butterflies of India
*
List of butterflies of India (Papilionidae)
Cited references
Other references
*
*
*
*
* Sakai S., Inaoka S., Toshiaki A., Yamaguchi S., Watanabe Y., (2002) ''The Parnassiology. The Parnassius Butterflies, A Study in Evolution'', Kodansha, Japan.
* Weiss Jean-Claude, (1999) ''Parnassiinae of the World'',
Hillside Books, Canterbury, UK. ,
{{Taxonbar , from=Q11811733
staudingeri hunza
Fauna of Pakistan
Butterfly subspecies