Apollo vs blue whale

Parnassius apollo compared with Balaenoptera musculus

Key Differences

• Apollo is Near Threatened while blue whale is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Apollo	blue whale
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Cetacea (Whales & Dolphins)
Family	Papilionidae	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals)
Genus	Parnassius	Balaenoptera (Rorquals)
Species	Parnassius apollo	Balaenoptera musculus

Evolutionary Relationship

Apollo and blue whale share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Apollo

NT — Near Threatened

blue whale

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~15.0K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Apollo	blue whale
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	90 years
Average Length	—	30.0 m
Average Weight	—	150.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Apollo

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (29 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

blue whale

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 11 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Apollo

Apollo (Parnassius apollo) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

blue whale

The largest animal ever known to have lived on Earth, blue whales can reach 33 meters and 200 tonnes — their hearts alone weigh as much as a small car. Found in all oceans, they migrate between polar feeding grounds and tropical breeding areas. Filter feeders consuming up to 4 tonnes of krill daily. Endangered, with global populations estimated at 10,000–25,000 after near-extinction from 20th-century whaling.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden