Butterflies of Norway

www.nagypal.net

PARNASSIUS APOLLO

 

English name: Apollo
Norwegian name: Apollosommerfugl
Auctor: (Linnaeus, 1758)
Original description: as Papilio Eques apollo in Syst.Nat. (Edn. 10) I: 465.
Syn.: --
Type locality of nominate species: Sweden.
Subspecies in Norway: P.a.norvegicus, P.a.jotunensis.
Worldwide distribution: Palaearctic region, from Spain in the west to Central
Asia in the east.

 

P. apollo norvegicus
Auctor: Menthe, 1912
Syn.: --
Type locality of subspecies: Telemarken.
Distribution in Norway: SE Norway; Gudbrandsdal, Valdres, Hallingdal, Numedal,
Telemark.
Notes: P.a.norvegicus was common along the coast-line of
SE Norway until the early 1960'ies, when it disappeared
from the whole area from one year to the next. A possible
cause for the extinction of the species in this
area was acid rain being carried to Norway from the British
Isles. Today P.a.norvegius is rare in the Eastern
populations, while it becomes more common in the Western
districts. In Telemark P.a.norvegicus is locally abundant.
Described forms found in Norway: P.apollo is a variable species with many named and unnamed forms.
Etymology: apollo: Apollon was the god of youth, music and healing
in Greek mythology.
norvegicus: belonging to Norway.

 

P. apollo jotunensis
Auctor: Opheim, 1945
Syn.: --
Type locality of subspecies: Iungsdalsnut, Hol herred.
Distribution in Norway: Jotunheimen mts., mainly around 1000 m altitude.
Notes: P.a.jotunensis was described from 1400 m altitude in
Skarvheimen mts. It was later found further east, in the beautiful
Jotunheimen mts. Today P.a.jotunesis is rare or extinct in Iungsdalen,
the area of its type locality. The most probable cause for its
extintion is over-grazing of domestic animals. E.g. local newspapers
from 1950 speak about more than 350 cows grazing in the small, narrow
high mountain valleys of Iungsdalen and Vesle Fødalen. Today most of
the cows are long time gone, but still small hordes of goats keep the
vegetation down to a minimum.
Described forms found in Norway: In his paper describing P.a.jotunesis Magne Opheim mentioned several
named forms. Again it is appropriate to point out that P.apollo is a
very variable species.
Etymology: jotunensis: belonging to Jotunheimen.

 

apol-22.JPG (20933 bytes)

 

1 2

 

PARNASSIUS APOLLO NORVEGICUS

Specimen

EIS

Region

Kommune

Coll. date

Legit

In coll.

Remarks
1 19 Ø Moss 06-VII-1915 Emil Barca ZMO m
2 19 Ø Moss 06-VII-1915 Emil Barca ZMO f






larva of P. apollo norvegicus on Sedum album

 

PARNASSIUS APOLLO NORVEGICUS  -   larva on Sedum album






apol-13.JPG (38545 bytes)

 

1 2
3 4

 

PARNASSIUS APOLLO JOTUNENSIS

Specimen

EIS

Region

Kommune

Coll. date

Legit

In coll.

Remarks
1 61 ON Vang 12-VIII-1945   ZMO m
2 61 ON Vang 1949   ZMO m
3 42 BV Ål 1944   ZMO m
4 42 BV Hol 06-VIII-1944 H. Rui ZMO m

 

 

 

apol-16.JPG (35592 bytes)

1 2
3 4

 

PARNASSIUS APOLLO JOTUNENSIS

Specimen

EIS

Region

Kommune

Coll. date

Legit

In coll.

Remarks
1 42 BV Hol 20-VIII-1943 Magne Opheim ZMO m
2 61 ON Vang 1945 Magne Opheim ZMO m
3 42 BV Ål VIII-1944 H. Rui ZMO m
4 42 BV Ål VIII-1944 H. Rui ZMO m  ventral view

 

 

apol-19.JPG (22248 bytes)

1 2

 

PARNASSIUS APOLLO JOTUNENSIS

Specimen

EIS

Region

Kommune

Coll. date

Legit

In coll.

Remarks
1 42 BV Ål 20-VIII-1943 Magne Opheim ZMO f
2 42 BV Ål 06-VIII-1944 H. Rui ZMO f

 

For further notes, photos and maps of this species, check out
the Lepidoptera homepage of the Zoological Museum of Oslo/Norwegian Entomological Society/Skogforsk
(text in Norwegian).

 

Butterflies of Norway | Systematic list of the Norwegian butterflies | Bibliography
Acknowledgements | Links | Maps of Norway | Updates
Main page
Birdwing Butterflies of the World Section | Systematic list of the Birdwing Butterflies

 

© Tony Nagypal, 2001-2020