Parnassius butterflies lay their eggs each year in montane meadows during mid-summer. The eggs overwinter under the deep snow, hatching into caterpillars in the spring when the snowpack melts. As temperatures increase and the duration of snow cover in our region shortens, these butterflies can serve as an ecological indicator for montane ecosystems because they are abundant, showy, and easily identified.

Dr. Diane Debinski is the Department Head and Professor of the Ecology Department at Montana State University. Dr. Debinski and her students have been studying Parnassius butterflies and the flowering plants that they use for nectar in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for over 25 years.  Hear the story of how this small white butterfly may provide a window into understanding how climate change may be affecting montane ecosystems worldwide.

Recorded at the Museum of the Rockies on October 23, 2019.