Due to their specific habitat requirements, Apollo populations are isolated from each other, which has resulted in many different local forms, individual variations and color polymorphism.
By feeding on stonecrops, Apollo caterpillars ingest and accumulate sarmentonsin in their bodies, which is a bitter-tasting cyanoglucoside also found in butterfly wings. This serves as a defence mechanism to repulse predators due to the foul taste of insects.
Parnassius apollo is listed as a rare and endangered species, mainly due to loss of habitat and climate change.
