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| Moscow, Russia; July 1997; Photo courtesy of Ilya Opislov ssp merzbacheri | Telemark Norway June 1975 ssp norwegicus |
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| Punta de la Ragua, Grenada; July 10 1973 ssp. nevadensis | ssp brittengeri |
Widespread with numerous subspecies described, "the Apollo" is
listed as protected under section II of CITES as of 1977. Found throughout
Europe and most of Asia with records as far East as Western China. Populations
in Europe are isolated at rather high altitudes (sub alpine) - it is apparently
a glacial relict which has undergone extensive subspeciation due to isolation
of individual populations after the last ice age. Some subspecies from
Western Europe have become extinct due to environmental destruction, but
the species as a whole is not threatened, and can be quite common at times.
Apparently numbers are declining in the former Soviet Union.