''Parnassius stenosemus'' is a high-altitude butterfly which is found in north India (

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...

). It is a member of the snow Apollo genus ('' Parnassius'') of the swallowtail 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 larges ...

). ''P. stenosemus'' was originally described 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 has also been regarded as conspecific with '' P. stoliczkanus''. It was treated as a good (true) species by Felix Bryk in 1935, a view accepted by many later authors including Weiss (1992).

Description

Larger than ''P. delphius'' and ''P. stoliczkanus'', the markings are less well defined, bands of forewing complete, the discal one posteriorly sometimes separated into spots, hindwing with narrow marginal band, two to four blue-centred submarginal spots, being preceded by a narrowly shaded band; the anterior ocellus sometimes absent, or reduced to a black dot. Kashmir (Ladak, Kutie pass) Stichel in Seitz, 1906 (Parnassius). ''Die Groß-Schmetterlinge der Erde''. Die Groß-Schmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes. Die palaearktischen Tagfalter, Stuttgart.

References

*Weiss, J.-C. 1992. ''The Parnassiinae of the World''. Part 2.

Sciences Nat Sciences Nat was the academic publisher specialising in entomology of the Societé Sciences Nat. The society was established in 1971 and based in the rue de la Mare in Paris. Three years later it moved to the rue des Alouettes and later to Venet ...

Venette Venette () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. The town is located along the river Oise, near Compiègne. Population Its inhabitants are called Venettiens. There are about 2800 inhabitants (2012). See also * Communes of the ...

; 87 pp. stenosemus Butterflies described in 1890 {{Papilionidae-stub