The Clodius Parnassian

                                                           The Clodius Parnassian    

 

The Clodius Parnassian is easily one of our favorite butterflies.  First, it is perhaps the most prevalent butterfly in southwest Washington that I was totally unaware of until we started watching the little devils six years ago.   I can't believe I missed it.  Unlike the blues, this is not a small butterfly.  It flops about in its dingy, white way that is hard to miss. And, with its fuzzy yellow body and handsome claret spots, it brings enough beauty to the table to merit one's attention.

Check out the proboscis on this hose hound

   Couple that with its staying power.  In the previous blog we stated that many butterflies cycle as a cohort.  They may appear for three weeks and not be seen again until the next year, or at an interval separated by months.  Obviously there are some species that defy this pattern.   Our parnassian is at the forefront of this group.  It appears in mid-spring and here it is, still the most prevalent butterfly on the Washougal in mid-summer. We see it earliest in the day and in the greatest numbers even after lunch. 

A Clodius nectars on Tara's cosmos.

    Not only that, but this butterfly occurs in neighborhoods, not just out in the wilder areas less traveled by the casual observer.  Here is a Clodius in nectaring on cosmos in my son's front yard in early August of 2023. 

    Finally we come to taxonomy.  Parnassians and Swallowtails are traditionally placed as a group at the head of the list by academic lepidopterists.  To my eye, this is so unexpected (I mean, does the clodius look anything like a tiger swallowtail?... I don't think so!) that I wonder if this was decided by DNA analysis.  Who, for example, would have thought that Zinfandel was in reality Primitivo?  But, no.  Somehow the pundits have placed the parnassians and he swallowtails in the same family, Papilionidae, for a long time. 

 

The yellow body indicates a female.

    So the Clodius Parnassian is first on the list, first in the spring and first in our hearts.  All of which is my long-winded way of introducing a limerick inspired by the beloved SKG as we meandered up the Washougal two weeks ago.  Enjoy at your own discretion.  

  The Clodius Parnassian

 My sweetie was determined to fashian,

a new name for the Clodius Parnassian.

She took a lady's spot of pleasure,

And a rich rapper's treasure,

And came up with Clitoris Kardasian!

    Parnassians are named for Mount Parnassus in Greece, the Home of the Gods.  And we all know what a bawdy group those Greek Gods were!

jeff