''Parnassius phoebus'', known as the Phoebus Apollo or small Apollo, is a

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprise ...

species of the swallowtail butterfly family,

Papilionidae Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies in the family Papilionidae, and include over 550 species. Though the majority are tropical, members of the family inhabit every continent except Antarctica. The family includes the larg ...

, found in the Palearctic and North America. Parnassius sacerdos - Alpenapollo

''P. phoebus'' is found in the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...

Urals The Ural Mountains ( ; rus, Ура́льские го́ры, r=Uralskiye gory, p=ʊˈralʲskʲɪjə ˈɡorɨ; ba, Урал тауҙары) or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western ...

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive region, geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

, China,

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

south through the United States to

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

and

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

Description

Male: the costal spots of forewing usually without red, the anterior one sometimes with white pupil; submarginal band faint and abbreviated or interrupted; no spot at hind margin; hindwing with red ocelli which are usually small, and sometimes with a submarginal row of feebly marked black spots; the veins often marked with well-defined elongate black punctures. Female: with better defined and more extended markings; vitreous margin of forewing separated from the submarginal band by large white uniform spots; the second costal spots often pupilled red, connected with one another by black scaling, on disc sometimes blackish shadows; on hindwing a greyish vitreous marginal band, distinct submarginal half-moons, which are contiguous, forming a band, two larger red ocelli, the posterior one occasionally with white pupil; anal spots sometimes intensified and one of them filled in with red. Parnassius phoebus MHNT CUT 2013 3 6 Cervières (Hautes-Alpes) male dos.jpg, Male Parnassius phoebus MHNT CUT 2013 3 6 Cervières (Hautes-Alpes) male ventre.jpg, Male, bottom Parnassius phoebus MHNT CUT 2013 3 6 Arvieux female dos.jpg, Female Parnassius phoebus MHNT CUT 2013 3 6 Arvieux female ventre.jpg, Female, bottom

Habitat

Mountains at 1,600 to 2,800 meters, in particular between 1,800 and 2,200 meters above sea level, in humid damp and wet places such as edges of mountain streams and near springs and fresh seepages and in valleys (Schneetälchen) according to the preferences of its caterpillar food plant.

Larval foods

*''

Saxifraga ''Saxifraga'' is the largest genus in the family Saxifragaceae, containing about 465 species of holarctic perennial plants, known as saxifrages or rockfoils. The Latin word ''saxifraga'' means literally "stone-breaker", from Latin ' ("rock" or " ...

'' species *''

Sedum ''Sedum'' is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, members of which are commonly known as stonecrops. The genus has been described as containing up to 600 species, subsequently reduced to 400–500. They are leaf succul ...

'' species *'' Sempervivum montanum''

Subspecies

''P. phoebus'' has the following subspecies: :* ''Parnassius phoebus alpestris Verity, 1911'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. anna Stichel, 1907'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus aktashicus'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus alaskensis Eisner, 1956'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus altaica Ménétriés, 1859'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus amalthea Bryk & Eisner, 1935'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus ampliusmaculata Bryk, 1929'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus apricatus Stichel, 1906'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. aristion Fruhstorfer, 1923'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. astriotes Fruhstorfer, 1923'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus badmaevi Martynenko & Gluschenko, 2001'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus bajangolus Yakovlev, 2006'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus basimaculata Bryk & Eisner, 1935'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus behrii Edwards, 1870'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus biexcelsior Bryk & Eisner, 1935'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. blachieri Fruhstorfer, 1921'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus bulawskii'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus catullius Fruhstorfer, 1923'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus cardinalis Oberthür, 1891'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. casta Stichel, 1907'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus cerenus Martin, 1922'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus chingizid Yakovlev, 2006'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. confederationis Fruhstorfer, 1921'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus corybas Fischer De Waldheim, 1836'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus costalinigroocellata Bryk & Eisner, 1935'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus crocedominensis Nardelli & Sala, 1986'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus cubitalis Bryk & Eisner 1937'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. cutullius Fruhstorfer, 1923'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus dakotaensis Bryk & Eisner, 1935'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus discocircumcincta Eisner 1955'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus eisneri Bryk, 1928'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus elias Bryk, 1934'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus ernaeides Bryk & Eisner, 1937'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus ernestinae Bryk & Eisner, 1935'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. expectatus Fruhstorfer, 1921'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus fermata Bryk, 1921'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus festal Turati, 1932'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus flavomaculata Moltrecht, 1933'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus fortuna A Bang-Haas, 1912'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. gulschenkoi Iwamoto, 1997'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus gazelii Previel, 1936'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus golovinus Holland, 1930'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus grundi Bryk & Eisner, 1935'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus guppyi Wyatt, 1971'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus halasicus Huang & Murayama, 1992'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus hansi Bryk, 1945'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus hardwicki Kane, 1885'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus hermador dos Passos, 1964'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus hermadur Brown & Eff & Rotger, 1856'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. hermiston Fruhstorfer, 1922'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus herrichi Oberthür, 1891'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus hollandi Bryk & Eisner, 1935'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus intermedius Ménétriés,1849'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus intermedioides Storace, 1951'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus interpositus Herz, 1903'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus kamtchatica Ménétries, 1886'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus lessini Sala, 1996'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus leonhardi Rühl ,1892'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus leucostigma Austaut, 1912'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus magnus W G Wright, 1905'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus manitobaensis Bryk & Eisner, 1935'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus mariae Bryk, 1912'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus maximus Bryk & Eisner, 1937'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus melanica Verity, 1911'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus melanophorus Bryk, 1921'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus mendicus Stichel ,1907'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus minor Verity, 1907'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus minusculus Bryk,1912'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus montanulus Bryk & Eisner, 1931'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus montanus Ehrmann, 1918'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus muelleri Uffeln, 1920'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus nanus Neumoegen, 1890'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus nigerrimus Verity, 1907'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus nigrescens Wheeler 1903'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus nikolaii Asahi, Kohara, Kanda & Kawata, 1999'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus nox Bryk & Eisner, 1935'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus ocellata Verity, 1907'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus ochotskensis Bryk & Eisner, 1931'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus olympianus Burdick, 1941'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus orbifer Bryk & Eisner, 1935'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. palamedes Hemming, 1934'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus paradisiacus Turati, 1932'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus phoebus'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus pholus Barnes & Benjamin, 1926'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus plurimaculata Nitsche, 1913'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus polus Ehrmann, 1917'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus pseudocorybas Verity, 1907'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus pseudorotgeri Eisner, 1966'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus quincunx Bryk ,1915'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus reducta O. Bang-Haas, 1938'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus rocky Grum-Grshimallo ,1890'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus rotgeri Bang-Haas, 1938'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus rubina Wyatt, 1961'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus rückbeili Deckert, 1909'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus sacerdozi Fruhstorfer, 1906'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus sauricus Lukhtanov, 1999'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus savoieensis Eisner, 1957'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus sayii Edwards ,1863'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus sayii f. hermodur Edwards, 1881'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus sedakovi Ménétriés, 1850'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. serenus Fruhstorfer, 1921'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus smintheus Doubleday, 1847'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus sordellus Fruhstorfer, 1923'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus styriacus Fruhstorfer, 1851'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus sternitzki McDunnough, 1936'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus tersa Verity, 1947'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus tessinorum Fruhstorfer, 1921'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus tsenguun Churkin,'' ''2003'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus uralensis Ménétriés, 1859'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus utahensis Rothschild, 1918'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus vaschenkoi Hirschfeld & Schäffler, 2004'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus velutus Martin, 1922'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus verity Ehrmann, 1918'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus veronicolus Martin, 1922'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus werschoturovi O. Bang-Haas, 1934'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus var. virginea Austaut, 1910'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus vorbrodti Bryk & Eisner, 1943'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus xanthus Ehrmann, 1918'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus yukonensis Eisner, 1969'' :* ''Parnassius phoebus zamolodtschikovi A. Belik, 1996''

Similar species

Parnassius smintheus ''Parnassius smintheus'', the Rocky Mountain parnassianJim P. Brock and K. Kaufman. Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America, New York, NY:Houghton Mifflin, 2003. or Rocky Mountain apollo, is a high-altitude butterfly found in the Rock ...

, which is a closely related species found in North America, is often misidentified as Parnassius phoebus. Some researchers also tend to split the North American population of

into two or three species, the northernmost of which are usually regarded as being part of P. phoebus, while the rest is considered to be P. smintheus.

References

*Bernard Turlin et Luc Manil, 2005 ''Étude synoptique et répartition mondiale des espèces du genre "Parnassius" Latreille 1804 ("Lepidoptera Papilionidae")'' Luc Manil, Paris. *

External links

* *
Rusinsects
Text, photographs.

Tree line and ''Parnassius phoebus smintheus''.

phoebus Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

Butterflies described in 1793 Butterflies of Europe {{Papilionidae-stub