Clouded Apollo vs Common Silver Hairgrass

Parnassius mnemosyne compared with Aira caryophyllea

Key Differences

Clouded Apollo is Near Threatened while Common Silver Hairgrass is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clouded Apollo	Common Silver Hairgrass
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Arthropoda (Arthropods)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Insecta (Insects)	Liliopsida (Monocots)
Order	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)	Poales (Grasses)
Family	Papilionidae	Poaceae (Grass Family)
Genus	Parnassius	Aira
Species	Parnassius mnemosyne	Aira caryophyllea

Conservation Status

Clouded Apollo

NT — Near Threatened

Common Silver Hairgrass

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clouded Apollo	Common Silver Hairgrass
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clouded Apollo

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (33 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Common Silver Hairgrass

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Cameroon), Asia (Japan, South Korea), Europe (6 countries), North America (4 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia), and South America (4 countries). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Clouded Apollo

Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) 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.

Common Silver Hairgrass

<em>Aira caryophyllea</em>, commonly known as Common Silver Hairgrass, is a slender annual grass belonging to the family Poaceae within the order Poales. This delicate grass is currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, reflecting significant conservation concern despite its historically broad distribution. It is typically found across a remarkable diversity of biome types, including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, grasslands, savannas, and flooded habitats, demonstrating notable ecological versatility. Its geographic range spans multiple continents, with documented populations in Africa (Cameroon), Asia (Japan, South Korea), Europe, North America, Australia, and South America. As an annual grass, it completes its life cycle within a single growing season, reproducing via wind-dispersed seeds. The inflorescence typically bears silvery, shimmering spikelets that give the species its common name. Biological traits such as average lifespan, body dimensions, and dietary specifics follow typical patterns for annual grasses — drawing nutrients from soil through root absorption rather than consuming other organisms. The endangered status suggests populations may be declining due to habitat loss, land-use change, or invasive species pressure across parts of its range.