Parnassius smintheus

Rocky Mountain Parnassian
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Parnassius
Species: P. smintheus
Binomial name
Parnassius smintheus
Doubleday, [1847]

The Rocky Mountain Parnassian[1] or Mountain Parnassian[2] (Parnassius smintheus) is a high-altitude butterfly which is found in the U.S. and Canada. It is a member of the Snow Apollo genus Parnassius of the Swallowtail (Papilionidae) family.

Description

This mostly white butterfly has red spots in the centres of the hindwing that distinguish it from other Parnassians. They also have dark spots on the forewing and dark wing margins and submargins.[1] Although this butterfly is in the swallowtail family it has no tail.

They have one flight, from June to mid-August.[3]

Larvae feed on Sedum lanceolatum, Sedum roseum, Sedum divergens, Sedum stenopetalum, and Sedum oreganum.[2][3]

Subspecies

Listed alphabetically.[2]

Distribution

From mountainous areas of Yukon, Alaska, and British Columbia and south as far as New Mexico.[1]

The Rocky Mountain Parnassian lives throughout the western United States year-round.[4] It is found in all of the life zones of the rocky mountains, including the montane, subalpine, and alpine zones.[5]

Similar species

Further reading

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Parnassius smintheus.
Wikispecies has information related to: Parnassius smintheus
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jim P. Brock and K. Kaufman. Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America, New York, NY:Houghton Mifflin, 2003.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Parnassius, funet.fi
  3. 3.0 3.1 Rocky Mountain Parnassian, Butterflies of Canada
  4. http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_IILEP90050.aspx
  5. http://www.nps.gov/romo/naturescience/butterfly-families.htm