| Actual Image
Rarity in the Swedish Drought (58)
Argus
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2707 W: 139 N: 7809]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (24333) | This is a male Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne).
It is to be found in small confined localities in the East of Sweden in the S., C, and N. It is red-listed and regarded as threatened, mostly by habitat destruction. The habitat is the edge of mixed forest wher the larval host-plant, Corydalis occurs.
It is rare and local in Norway and Finland. It also occurs in the Alps, Pyrenees, Italy,the Balkans and Turkey, where it is nowhere common.
This was taken in the province of Blekinge, east of our province Scania. We only saw this individual in the blazing morning sun. It is feeding on the nectar of the flowers of Sticky Catchfly (Lychnis viscara), the only flowers that have not withered in the drought that has now been with us for six weeks.
Normally such a butterfly would live for over a week in normal weather but with continuous high temperatures it burns itself out in a couple of days.
It flies in a typical slow apollo gliding flight with the wings held in a V-shape. It is slightly larger than the Large or Cabbage White, with which it can be confused in flight at first sight.
It is on the brink of extinction in Blekinge with less less than 100 individuals estimated this year. It is a little more numerous in the two provinces to the north.
The eggs are laid on the already withered remains of the plant Corydalis and the larva hatches in the spring when the new Corydalis shoots have started to grow.
A more conventional view of this same Clouded Apollo is to be seen in the WORKSHOP.
This was taken at a distance of about 3 meters with the camera hand-held. After moderate cropping and size reduction it was selectively sharpened. |
|
