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Creature Profile
The Apollo Butterfly is a species of concern from the class Insecta and the family Papilionidae. This insect has a wingspan of between 2.8 inches and 8.4 inches. It is beautifully decorated with large spots of black on the forewings while the hind wings have eye-spots of red in color. The eye-spots of red vary in color in different individuals depending on their locality. Often, these red spots fade in the sun resulting in the eyespots of individuals being more of orange than red as they age. The edges of the Apollo Butterfly usually have a shiny and slightly transparent appearance but some individuals may be darker. The caterpillars of Apollo Butterfly have orange to red spots on the sides and are generally colored velvet black. This species has a number of subspecies.
Caterpillars of this species feed on houseleek and stonecrop while the older Apollo Butterflies feed on nectar from flowers. It inhabits habitats such as sunny slopes that are sparsely vegetated, steeply mountainous areas, alpine and subalpine grassland, steppes, and dry calcareous grassland. No information exists to confirm whether Apollo Butterfly is or is not a migratory species. Reproduction in this species is through laying of eggs that then hatch to produce the offspring. Females lay eggs either individually or in groups in areas nearing stonecrop food plants usually in winter. The eggs hatch to caterpillars in spring of the following year. The caterpillar continues developing and when fully grown pupate to the ground forming a cocoon. The adult caterpillar metamorphosizes from this cocoon after some time.
The current estimated global population of this species is unknown. Researchers have however confirmed a strong decline in numbers of this species in several countries where it occurs. Challenges faced by this species include fragmentation and isolation especially in areas with low altitude and collection by people due to its attractive look. This species has been listed in Bern Convention Annex 2, CITES Appendix II, on the Habitats Directive Annex 4, and several areas where the species is found are now protected.
Wikipedia Article
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Wikipedia Article Copyright Notice: This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Apollo (butterfly)". |
March 3, 2025
Mugo, C. R. 2025. "Earth's Endangered Creatures - Apollo Butterfly Facts" (Online). Accessed 3/27/2025 at https://earthsendangered.com/profile.asp?sp=11911&ID=6.
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