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''Parnassius imperator'' is a high altitude butterfly which is found in Western China and Northeast India. It is a member of the generally white, high-elevation genus ''Parnassius'', known as snow Apollos, of the family Papilionidae, known as Swallowtails (although they lack tails). It has over 40 subspecies, including the critically endangered Himalayan species ''P. i. augustus'', commonly known as the Imperial Apollo.〔〔 Apollo Augustus, the ”Imperial” Apollo, appeared on Roman coins of the second century CE. When ''P. imperator'' come to rest, their wings spread horizontally so that their bodies lie close to the ground, lessening attacks by strong winds. ==Description== Subspecies ''P. i. augustus'' Fruhstorfer, 1903, from the 1907 book ''The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma – Butterflies, Volume II'': :“♂ ♀. ''Upperside'': creamy-white. Fore wing: costa and base closely irrorated with black scales; the usual short transverse medial and apical black bars across the cell, followed by irregularly sinuous, broad, transverse, dusky-black discal and postdiscal, complete bands that extend from the costa to the dorsum; the discal band very broad, below the apex of cell bent inwards and almost completely filling the base of interspaces 2 and 3; the terminal margin broadly dusky hyaline black. Hind wing: the dorsal margin up to the subcostal vein and downwards to a little above the tornus densely irrorated with black scales and with scattered long white hairs; an upper basal black-encircled crimson spot; another in the middle of interspace 7 and a third in interspace 5, the latter two centred with white ; beyond there is an irregular, sinuous, postdiscal dusky-black transverse band from costa to vein 4, posterior to which in interspaces 2 and 3 are two prominent round black subtornal spots, broadly centred with blue; lastly, the terminal margin narrowly dusky black. Cilia of both fore and hind wings prominently yellowish white. ''Underside'' similar; glassy markings similar, but mostly seen by transparency from above: faint indications of an additional crimson spot at base of cell and base of interspace 1. Antenna brownish black, obscurely annulated with brown ; head, thorax and abdomen black, the latter two studded with long white hairs. :''Exp''. ♂ ♀ 79–84 mm. (3.1–3.35"). :''Hab''. Eastern Himalayas, on the boundary between Sikkim and Tibet, at altitudes between 15,000 and 16,000 feet. :This smaller and darker form of ''P. imperator'', Oberthür, from Eastern Tibet, just enters into our limits.”〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Parnassius imperator」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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