| Family | Papilionidae |
|---|---|
| Subfamily | Parnassiinae |
| Genus | Parnassius |
| Species | apollo |
| Authority | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| English Name | Apollo |
| European Red List 2010 | Near Threatened (NT) |
|---|---|
| EU 27 Red List 2010 | Near Threatened (NT) |
| European Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| EU 27 Red List 2025 | Least Concern (LC) |
| Habitats Directive | HD IV |
| Bern Convention | BC II |
| CITES | CITES |
The Apollo occurs in areas on steep, sunny slopes with sparse vegetation. In Europe, there are many different subspecies, forms and aberrations, because of the large isolation of populations. The butterflies are fond of visiting thistles and other flowering plants for their nectar. The female lays her eggs singly or in small groups on or near the foodplant stonecrop (Sedum spp.). The eggs develop but the tiny caterpillar hibernates inside the eggshell or as newly hatched larvae. It emerges in the spring, and starts feeding on the buds of the foodplant. The caterpillars of later instars also eat the leaves. When it is time to pupate, the caterpillars look for a safe place between the stones, where they then spin a flimsy cocoon for pupation. The Apollo is single-brooded. This species is listed in Annex IV of the Habitats’ Directive.
Albania / Andorra / Austria / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bulgaria / Croatia / Czechia / Denmark (Irregular Vagrant) / Finland / France / France: Mainland / Germany / Greece / Greece: Mainland / Italy / Italy: Mainland / Italy: Sicily / Liechtenstein / North Macedonia / Montenegro / Netherlands (Irregular Vagrant) / Norway / Poland / Romania (Regionally Extinct) / European Russia / Serbia / Serbia: Serbia / Serbia: Kosovo / Slovakia / Slovenia / Spain / Spain: Mainland / Sweden / Switzerland / Ukraine (Regionally Extinct) /