The Wolley Dod Award

2022

Vic Romanyshyn, Gerald Hilchie & Dave Lawrie

Parnassius clodius
Photo By: Dave Lawrie

This past summer, Dave, Gerry, and Vic found the first Alberta specimens of this species, in 54 years. It was previously known from two males from two localities in Waterton Lakes National Park, collected August 1 & 12, 1968. The 2022 records are from July 15-17, at two localities in the Castle Ski Hill area.

Gerry and Dave made the first recognized finding. Dave reports: "We thought we were seeing female P. smintheus flying in an avalanche chute above the lower part of the Paradise Lake trail on July 16. Closer examination showed black antennae & definitely a male! YAY! P. clodius!" More individuals were collected that day and the next. However, weeks later, it was discovered that Vic Romanyshyn, who had been with Gerry and Dave a day earlier, on July 15, had actually taken a clodius specimen as well: "Vic wasn't with us that day (he had to leave early), but the previous day (July 15) the 3 of us had hiked up to Haig lake. Having lunch at the lake, Vic mentioned he'd caught an odd-looking quite dark Parnassius just below the lake. I suggested it was a female P. smintheus, but we didn't look at the specimen. Vic dropped by my place a few weeks later with a beautifully pinned male P. clodius! So he technically has the record for the first in 54 years!"