LEPIDOPTERA
PAPILIONIDAE Latreille,1802
PARNASSIUS Latreille,1804
Parnassius staudingeri A. Bang-Haas, 1882
Parnassius staudingeri staudingeri A. Bang-Haas, 1882
· RANGE. The Pamirs-Alai, Hindu Kush, Karakorum, W. Kuen-Lun.
· DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. Occupying a vast area with diverse habitats, this species forms a great number of subspecies/varieties. The subspecies most distinctive morphologically and geographically are as follows: ssp. staudingeri A. Bang-Haas, 1882 (= hodja Avinov, 1913) from W. Ghissar; ssp. hissaricus Eisner, 1968 (= tzvetaevi J.L. Shchetkin, 1977) from E. Ghissar, ssp. difficilis Murzin, 1989 from Ghissar (Turkestansky Mts.); ssp.infernalis Elwes, 1886 from the Alaisky and E. Zaalaisky Mts.; ssp. illustris Grum-Grshimailo, 1888 from the W. Zaalaisky Mts.; ssp. inaccessibilis J.J. Shchetkin, 1979 (= valentinae J.J. Shchetkin, 1977, nom. praeoccup.) from Darvaz; ssp. darvasicus Avinov, 1916 from the W. Pamirs, ssp. jqcobsoni Avinov, 1913 from the SW. Pamirs; ssp. hunza Grum-Grshimailo, 1888 from the SE. Pamirs.
· TAXONOMIC NOTES. For a long time, P. staudingeri was regarded as a subspecies of P. delphius. It has been allotted full specific rank only recently, based on some morphological characters of adults and early stages. The question about a possibly specific status of the ssp. hunza occurring in the extreme SE of the Pamirs also remains open, as this butterfly differs significantly from other neighboring subspecies.
· HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Preferring mainly stony slopes, more rarely occurring on steppe-clad slopes; altitudes vary in different parts of the range from 2,500 m (the Zeravshansky Mts.) to 5,200 m a.s.l. (the SE. Pamirs). Flight period: June- August depending on the altitude, most usually July. Host plants Cysticorydalis fedtschenkoana, Corydalis orlobrychis.
· SIMILAR SPECIES. P. delphius. UPH with blue tornal spots. P. cardinal. HW red- colored spots large and usually connected by a black stripe. P. kiritshenkoi. larger, dark patterns reduced.
Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 1. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 1997