Parnassius imperator is a high altitude butterfly which is found in Western China and Northeast India. It is a member of the generally white, high-elevation genus Parnassius, known as Snow Apollos, of the Papilionidae family, known as Swallowtails (although they lack tails).It has over 40 subspecies, including the critically endangered Himalayan species P. i. augustus, commonly known as the Imperial Apollo.