APOLLO
Parnassius apollo
(also called Red Apollo or Apollo Butterfly, simply named Apollo in English)

Large, white butterfly with a wingspread of 65-75 mm, black spots especially on the front wings and a red pair of eye spots on the back wings.

The Apollo lives in the Alpine region, also in lower areas. Like the Ptarmigan and the Mountain Hare, the Apollo is not only to be found in the Alps and other mountains but is also spread throughout the northern countries (Scandinavia, Siberia). Sunny and dry habitats, often rocky landscapes, but also streets and railway embankments and deposits, generally below the timber line.

The marking is very variable, correspondingly hundreds of subspecies of the Apollo have already been described. Nearly every massif has its own subspecies; among the different Apollo populations there is generally no exchange, as the butterflies usually do not cross forests and valleys.

Depending upon the height region, the butterflies fly between the end of April and the end of September, sucking on thistles and skabioses, and often spending the night on thistle blossoms. The eggs are laid on the forage plant of the larvae the White Stonecrop (Sedum alba). Normally, the larvae will not hatch before the following year, the egg being the hibernating stage of the species. The pupa stage lasts some few weeks.


Text: Stefan Ineichen, ecologist, Zürich
Pictures: www.schmetterling-raupe.de

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