Parnassius hunnyngtoni, the Hannyngton's Apollo, is a high-altitude butterfly which is found in India. It is a member of the snow Apollo genus (Parnassius) of the swallowtail family (Papilionidae). Some sources also spell the name as P. hunnygtoni. It is named after Frank Hannyngton who obtained the specimen from the Chumbi Valley.
Range Northern slope of central Himalaya (Tibet). Previously known from the Chumbi Valley, northern part of India (Sikkim) which currently is occupied by China. It may be in Bhutan.
Description Original description by Andrey Avinoff:
Etymology The species was described as Parnassius hunnyngtoni Avinoff, 1916. However (besides the suffix) the spelling of the species name as an honorific, differs from other spellings of the surname for Mr. Frank Hannyngton - stated as having provided the original specimens. The difference in spelling of 'hunnyngton' versus 'hannyngton' led some subsequent works to include the species name as the revised hannyngtoni. (e.g. Hingston, 1927 Hingston, R.W.G. 1927. Notes on Parnassius. Rhopalocera of the Mt Everest Expedition. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London. Part 1, pp 119-129.). However, per ICZN 32.5, such later use is an unjustified subsequent emendation (as appeals to information beyond the scope of the original source). As such the published spelling of the scientific name remains. In the vernacular, using a spelling more appropriate to the intended honorific, such as "Hannyngton's Apollo" is appropriate, albeit possibly confusing.
Status This species is very rare and is protected by law in India.
See also Papilionidae List of butterflies of India List of butterflies of India (Papilionidae)
References
Sakai S., Inaoka S., Toshiaki A., Yamaguchi S., Watanabe Y., (2002) The Parnassiology. The Parnassius Butterflies, A Study in Evolution, Kodansha, Japan. Weiss Jean-Claude, (1999) Parnassiinae of the World, Hillside Books, Canterbury, UK. ,
Further reading sv:Parnassius hunnyngtoni - Swedish Wikipedia provides further references and synonymy