Parnassius smintheus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Parnassius smintheus, the Rocky Mountain parnassian or Rocky Mountain apollo, is a high-altitude butterfly found in the Rocky Mountains throughout the United States and Canada. It is a member of the snow Apollo genus (Parnassius) of the swallowtail family (Papilionidae). The butterfly ranges in color from white to pale yellow-brown, with red and black markings that indicate to predators it is unpalatable.
Parnassius smintheus primarily feeds on the leaves of the Sedum lanceolatum plant as larvae and on its nectar as adults. The butterfly tends to reside in meadows and avoids forests, because it strongly prefers light. The males of this species fly from meadow to meadow frequently to find females and food resources, whereas females are more likely to avoid flying. The males seem to have mate choice in this species, as they emerge from the pupae earlier than the females and patrol for females, heavily preferring newly emerged females that have not yet flown.
Although the species is not yet endangered, the climate change and human activity over the last few decades have reduced its viable habitats, and this process is continuing. The range of the butterfly is based... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rocky Mountain Parnassian sighting in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 95th most-seen of the 161 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July to September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rocky Mountain Parnassian in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on a given day, against under 5% in October to June, the lowest months. Those are among Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 190 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rocky Mountain Parnassian sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
8th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Rocky Mountain Parnassian sightings, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks ranks 8th at about 10%. The best odds are in Rocky Mountain National Park (United States, about 30%), Kluane National Park (Canada, about 20%) and Yellowstone National Park (United States, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rocky Mountain Parnassian is recorded against all the insects logged in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
