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Clouded Apollo Butterfly / Crnooki parnasovac
Parnassius mnemosyne
45.8229, 16.0127
Field Notes
Description:
Wing span: large, 55 – 70 mm. Females are larger than males.
Wing upper side: white, forewing with two black blotches. Tip of forewing transparent. Wing underside: Like upper surface.
Flying time: early June – early August.
Habitat:
It inhabits Eurasian meadows and woodland clearings with plenty of flowering plants, both in the lowlands and in the mountains. It is not usually found at altitudes above 1 500 m except in the Asian mountains where it is known also from higher altitudes.
Its range of distribution extends from the Pyrenees, across the Central Massif, the Alps, and the Carpathians as far as central Asia. It inhabits all European countries including Norway, where it appears rarely and only in certain places. A great number of different geographical races and individual forms are distinguished in this extensive region. The most striking specimens include the dark race from the eastern Bavarian Alps (ssp. hartmanni ); form melania has the most pronounced dark colouring.
Notes:
The female lays whitish eggs with a granular surface. The caterpillar feeds only on sunny days, otherwise it is hidden under leaves or stones. The blunt-ended chrysalis lies on the ground in a light spun covering. The caterpillars feed exclusively on Corydalis species.
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