News Excerpt:

Dusted Apollo (Parnassius stenosemus), a rare high-altitude butterfly, has been sighted and photographed for the first time in Himachal Pradesh, indicating the flourishing diversity of Apollo butterflies in the region.

About Dusted Apollo Butterfly:

• This species is extremely rare and was discovered in 1890.
• The distribution range of Dusted Apollo extends from Ladakh to West Nepal, and it flies between 3,500 and 4,800 meters in the inner Himalayas.
• The Dusted Apollo species closely resembles Ladakh Banded Apollo (Parnnasius stoliczkanus), but the discal band on the upper fore wing in Dusted Apollo is complete and extends from costa to vein one while this discal band is incomplete and extends only up to vein four in Ladakh Banded Apollo.

• Moreover, the Dark marginal band on the hind wings is much narrower in Dusted Apollo, while it is broader in Ladakh Banded Apollo.

Way forward:

• Community awareness about poaching and the importance of these species may play an important role in their conservation.
• Establishing butterfly parks and conservation reserves would help conserve such rare species.