''Parnassius stoliczkanus'', the Ladakh banded Apollo, is a rare high-altitude

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

which is found in

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

. It is a member of the snow Apollo genus (''

Parnassius ''Parnassius'' is a genus of northern circumpolar and montane (alpine and Himalayan) butterflies usually known as Apollos or snow Apollos. They can vary in colour and form significantly based on their altitude. They also show an adaptation to h ...

'') of the swallowtail family. It is named after the naturalist and explorer

Ferdinand Stoliczka Ferdinand Stoliczka (Czech written Stolička, 7 June 1838 – 19 June 1874) was a Moravian palaeontologist who worked in India on paleontology, geology and various aspects of zoology, including ornithology, malacology, and herpetology. He died of ...

Description

Male upperside dull white. Forewing: base and costal margin irrorated with black scales; cell with the usual medial and apical short black transverse bars, the former not extended down to the median vein in typical specimens; discal and postdiscal dusky black sinuate bands, the former attenuated below vein 6, stops short of the dorsum, the latter extends right down to the dorsal margin; beyond these bands the terminal margin is more or less shaded with dusky black which at the tornus coalesces with the postdiscal band. Hindwing: dorsal margin broadly dusky black, this colour narrowed towards the tornus; a postdiscal black-encircled red spot in interspace 5; termen somewhat broadly dusky black, with a subterminal series of darker spots in the interspaces and the dorsal margin fringed with long white hairs. Cilia of both forewings and hindwings white. Underside: like the upperside, the ground colour with the glassy appearance common to all forms in the genus; markings similar, apparent however more by transparency from above than formed by actual scaling. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen black, the tufted hairs on the head in front fuscous; beneath: the palpi, thorax and abdomen clothed with fuscous hairs. Female upperside the ground colour differs from that of the 6 in its duller somewhat yellowish tint; the markings are similar but on the hindwing the spots in the subterminal series are centred with blue, the postdiscal red spot is paler, often absent, while in some specimens there is a subtornal red spot. Underside: similar to that of the male. In both sexes the basal red spots on the underside of the hindwing so general in the forms of this genus are usually, if not always, lacking. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen as in the male. Anal pouch in the fertilized female as in '' Parnassius hunza''.

Range

It ranges from

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

and

Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...

, the northern ranges of India ( Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand), and China ( Tibet).

Subspecies

*''Parnassius stoliczkanus atkinsoni'' Moore (Kashmir: Pir Pinjal, Sind Valley, Burzil Pass. India: Pradesh) The bands of forewing broader, all three complete, submarginal spots within the marginal band of hindwing distinctly blue, two ocelli, the posterior one enlarged, and two red centred hindmarginal spots. *''Parnassius stoliczkanus beate'' Eisner (Kashmir: Karakoram, Potu-la Pass, Chalsi, Leh) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus chitralica'' Verity (Pakistan: Chitral) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus florenciae'' Tytler (Tibet: Phupes Hundes, Tibu, Churmurti) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus gracilis'' Bryk & Eisner (India: Himachal Pradesh, Kangra, Rohtang Pass) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus imitator'' Bryk & Eisner (former U.S.S.R.: Tadzhikistan, Pamirs, Beik Pass) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus kutnaonensis'' Riley (India: Uttar Pradesh, Kumaon, Shillung) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus nicevillei'' Avinoff (Kashmir: Pir Pinjal, Burzil Pass, Sari Sungur Pass, Sapta La) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus parangensis'' Eisner (India: Himachal Pradesh, Parang Pass, Bara Lacha Pass. Kashmir: Tagalang Pass, Lingti, Ladahk) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus riteyi'' Tytler (Kashmir: Rupal Valley, Astor) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus spitiensis'' Bang-Haas (Tibet: Spiti, Tum-Tum-Thang, Churmurti) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus stoliczkanus'' Felder & Felder (Ladak, Rupshu, Sapta La) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus tenuis'' Bryk & Eisner (Kashmir: Gya-Ladahk, Tagalang Pass) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus tytlerianus'' Bryk & Eisner (Kashmir: Chitral, Bangol Pass) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus zanskarica'' Bang-Haas (Kashmir: Nira, Zanskar Mountains) *''Parnassius stoliczkanus zogilaica'' Tytler (Kashmir: Zogila) Generally smaller than the typical ''delphius''. Red costal spot of hindwing upperside usually absent.

Status

William Harry Evans said that it was very rare. Further information is needed on this species. The butterfly is protected by law in India.

Identification

The ''Parnassius'' species of butterflies are often hard to identify and can sometimes only be identified by dissection of the genitalia. P. R. Ackery (1975) provides a

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

available online.Ackery PR (1975) A guide to the genera and species of Parnassiinae (Lepidoptera:Papilionidae). ''Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology'' 31,
pdf
/ref> will key to ''Parnassius delphius'' but it is smaller and has better defined markings. The discal band of forewing shortened, in exceptional cases running into the submarginal band. Hindwing with broad marginal band, in which there stand four or five darker spots, which are dusted with blue in the female; as a rule only one ocellus preserved, namely the posterior one, being sometimes reduced to a dot; moreover, often a red hindmarginal dot.

References

Sources

*Sakai S., Inaoka S., Toshiaki A., Yamaguchi S., Watanabe Y., (2002) ''The Parnassiology. The Parnassius Butterflies, A Study in Evolution'', Kodansha, Japan. *Weiss J.-C., (1992) ''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, France.

External links

Funet
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3010715 stoliczkanus Insects of Afghanistan Butterflies of Asia Butterflies described in 1864 Taxa named by Baron Cajetan von Felder Taxa named by Rudolf Felder