Parnassius nomion Fischer von Waldheim, 1823

The Parnassius buterflies become little mobile when the sun hides behind the clouds and fail to get into the air when frightened. Instead, they exhibit a peculiar threatening behaviour: they spread the wings wide, showing striking red "eyes" (demonstrative colouration) and start to make convulsive movement of wings and a scratching sound by rubbing the hind legs against the under surface of the wings.

Range: The mountains of South Siberia, southern Far East, Mongolia, N and NE China, Korea.

ssp.: nomion Fischer von Waldheim, 1823; range: Transbaikalia.

A male on an inflorescence of Spiraea salicifolia L.; wings open.

Spiraea salicifolia L. bushes on the Onon River right bank floodland just below a high steppen terrace, 5 km upstream of the village Nizhnii Tsasuchei, Onon District, Chita Province, Transbaikalia, Siberia, Russia, 16th July 1997. O. Kosterin