Monday, December 19, 2022

Butterfly of the Week: Archon Bostanchii

Like Archon apollinaris, Archon bostanchii is very similar to Archon apollinus. A. bostanchii's recognition as a separate species is even more recent than A. apollinaris's. 

All three currently recognized species of Archon are Parnassians, a group of butterfly species whose wing venation resembles the Swallowtails' but whose hind wings are round rather than "tailed." All three are highly variable. They can be white like the genus Allancastria, or light tan, beige, or yellow, with any amount of black, red, or brown mottling. Individuals of different species may resemble each other more than siblings do. What makes them different species is not a visible difference among the butterflies, but the facts that they start out as different caterpillars and don't normally crossbreed. (Species in the same genus can be crossbred, but seldom choose to crossbreed all by themselves, perhaps sensing that the offspring of crossbreeding are likely to be sterile or otherwise at a physical disadvantage.)


Photo shared with Flicker by Alireza Naden, but whether he snapped it with his own camera the page doesn't say. 

This species is found only in certain places in Iran, only in the early spring, and even then it's rather rare. Like the other Archons, it lives on wild vines in the genus Aristolochia. Like most butterflies, it seeks sunshine and is often attracted to places cleared by humans. It's endangered by humans who use "herbicides" to wipe out its food plant, not only in crop fields but in gardens where the plant might be appreciated or on unused land where it might be beneficial.

This species has no traditional name of its own, but, since it's been classified as a distinct species, some people call it the Iranian False Apollo.

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