Apollo butterfly  (Parnassius apollo)

The Apollo is a beautiful white butterfly, decorated with large black spots on the forewings and red eye-spots on the hindwings (4). These striking red eye-spots can vary in size and form depending on where the butterfly comes from, and the bright red colour often fades in the sun, causing the eye-spots of older individuals to appear more orange (5) (6). The wings are shiny, with slightly transparent edges (2), and some individuals are darker (melanistic); a general phenomenon common in many butterflies (6). The caterpillars are velvety black with orange-red spots along the sides (4). As well as being a great deal of individual variation in the appearance of the Apollo butterfly, a number of subspecies have also been described (7).