Parnassius orleans

Description

Parnassius orleans is a high altitude butterfly which is found in Mongolia, western China and Tibet. It is a member of the snow Apollo genus (Parnassius) of the swallowtail family, Papilionidae. It was named after Prince Henri of Orléans who discovered it. Note: The wing pattern in Parnassius species is inconsistent and the very many subspecies and forms make identification problematic and uncertain. Structural characters derived from the genitalia, wing venation, sphragis and foretibial epiphysis are more, but not entirely reliable. The description given here is a guide only. For an identification key see Ackery P.R. (1975).