Butterfly ID
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Field guide · Sweden
Swallowtails · Sweden

Clouded apollo

Parnassius mnemosyne

Clouded apollo is a white skipper butterfly with distinctive black wing veins and glassy wing fields, associated with bright, open meadow-forest habitats. It is strongly threatened and is found in Sweden only in a few locations.

Status in this countryThreatened in SwedenEN (Endangered)
Clouded apollo
Photo: Hinox · CC BY 3.0

Flight period

The flight schedule typically begins during the first week of June, coinciding with the flowering of water lilies, and lasts throughout the month.

Habitat

The species is found in bright, open meadow grassland woodlands, preferably with rock outcrops that provide a mosaic of moisture. The areas are primarily pastureland with extensive grazing or no management, often surrounded by mowing fields. The soil substrate is always rich in organic matter and, ideally, calcareous (chalky).

Identifying features

Wingspan 55–68 mm. The wings are white, with distinct black wing veins, two clear black spots in the disc field of the forewing, and a broad, translucent area in the outer part of the forewing. The hindwing has strong black dusting along the edge. The female can have strong black dusting over both pairs of wings.

Similar species

No similar species are described in the sources examined. Unlike Apollo, it has no red eyespots.

Distribution

Clouded apollo has previously existed in Scania, Blekinge, along the Kalmar Sound, on Öland and Gotland, as well as along the coast from Östergötland to Uppland. Today, it is only found in a few locations in Blekinge and along the central Uppland coast; the strongest populations are found in Medelpad. The species has been absent from Denmark since 1962.

Biology

The eggs are laid scattered on decaying plant parts. The larva overwinters fully formed in the egg and emerges in April; growth is rapid, and the larva is fully grown after approximately three weeks. The cocoon is produced in a rolled-up dry leaf, and the pupal stage lasts for about four weeks. The host plants are various Corydalis species, including southern Corydalis and Swedish Corydalis.