【Digital】Apollo Butterfly Print Digital Download - Mountain Butterfly Wall Art

Hand-drawn natural-history illustration · Apollo Butterfly · digital download (no physical item is shipped) I drew the Apollo for its red eyes — the ringed crimson spots set against chalk-white wings — and for the papery, almost translucent quality of those wings when the butterfly holds still in mountain sunshine. The Apollo is the most photogenic butterfly in Europe and one of the most admired: large, slow-flying, white-winged, resting in open mountain meadows at altitudes between 500 and 2,000 metres. It is the butterfly people go to the Alps to find. Parnassius apollo is listed on Appendix II of the CITES convention, meaning international trade is controlled — it is one of the few butterflies for which this protection has been considered necessary. The species is also on Annex IV of the EU Habitats Directive. Its decline is linked to the loss of its host plant, stonecrop and other Sedum species, and to climate change pushing it higher as temperatures warm. Some alpine populations are now only at the highest accessible meadows and are isolated from neighbouring mountains. The red eyespots on the hindwings are warning colouration: the adult is mildly toxic, and the spots signal this to birds that have learned the lesson. I drew the Apollo at rest, wings slightly angled, in the characteristic open-winged basking posture you find on warm stones in alpine meadows. SPECIMEN NOTES - **Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo)** — **CITES Appendix II** and EU Habitats Directive Annex IV; one of the most protected butterflies in the world - **Wings:** **chalk-white**, often with slightly transparent patches near the wing margins; wingspan 6–9 cm - **Hindwing eyespots:** **red and black rings** — aposematic colouration warning of mild toxicity - **Altitude:** found between **500–2,000 m** in mountain meadows; an alpine specialist - **Host plants:** stonecrop (*Sedum* sp.) and related succulent plants on rocky alpine slopes - **Adults:** July–September; slow, powerful flier; often found basking on warm rocks - **Protection:** **CITES Appendix II** (international trade controlled); EU Habitats Directive Annex IV - **Population trend:** declining due to loss of host plant habitat and climate-driven range compression upslope - **Variable:** pattern varies between populations, particularly the size and intensity of the red spots ON THE WALL, OR AS A GIFT At home this print suits a Scandinavian or minimal interior, a mountain-themed room, a study or bedroom with pale walls, or any space that wants a white-winged, contemplative quality in its natural history. The white and red-spotted wings hold beautifully against cream, pale grey or natural linen. In a simple black or pale oak frame it reads like a museum specimen — precise and considered. As a gift it is for an alpine walker, a naturalist, a mountain photographer, or a butterfly specialist. It also works well as a housewarming gift for a quiet, considered interior — the Apollo has a stillness about it that suits a bedroom or a room where someone thinks. WHAT YOU RECEIVE **2 high-resolution files — available to download the moment payment clears** - 1 PNG at 600 DPI — prints sharply at any size from A5 up to A2 / 5×7 in up to 16×20 in - 1 print-ready PDF at 600 DPI — pre-formatted for clean printing with no cropping needed - Both files work on home printers, professional print labs, and convenience-store multifunction printers - Re-download from your Pinkoi account any time within 90 days HOW IT WORKS 1. Complete your purchase 2. Download the files instantly from your Pinkoi order page — no shipping, no waiting 3. Save to your phone, tablet or computer 4. Print at home, at a print lab, or at a convenience-store multifunction printer — 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and Lawson in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan handle these files cleanly 5. Frame and hang PRINTING RECOMMENDATIONS **Best result: matte or semi-gloss paper.** Matte is closest to the feel of the original illustration — the texture reads as hand-drawn rather than digital. Semi-gloss gives slightly richer colour and more contrast. Paper weight: **200 gsm or heavier** for a fine-art feel. Standard 80–90 gsm office paper works fine for a casual print or a test before committing to a frame. For exceptional quality, look for a local print lab that offers cotton-rag or baryta paper at 240+ gsm — botanical illustration on fine-art paper is close to the look and weight of an original drawing. The files are sized to print cleanly at both metric (A-series) and US standard sizes without any adjustment. Take the PDF to any print shop and ask for it printed at 100% scale. SIZE GUIDE - **A5** — 14.8 × 21 cm / 5.8 × 8.3 in — desk frame, shelf, or small accent wall - **A4** — 21 × 29.7 cm / 8.3 × 11.7 in — the most popular size; standard frames everywhere - **A3** — 29.7 × 42 cm / 11.7 × 16.5 in — gallery scale; makes a clear statement on a wall - **A2** — 42 × 59.4 cm / 16.5 × 23.4 in — large format; feature walls and wide corridors - **8 × 10 in** (20 × 25 cm) — US standard; sits well with a mat in an 11 × 14 in frame - **11 × 14 in** (28 × 35.5 cm) — US gallery size; fills a standard frame without a mat All sizes print at full 600 DPI sharpness. There is no resolution loss at larger sizes. DISPLAY IDEAS - Natural wood frame for a warm, botanical feel — black frame for a more graphic, modern look - A single print beside a window or above a shelf in a kitchen - Two or three drawings in matching frames, side by side, along a corridor or bedroom wall - Part of a gallery wall: botanical prints sit well alongside maps, photographs and typography - Standing in a clip frame or thin acrylic on a shelf or desk, without a wall mount GIFT IDEAS A framed botanical art print is a considered gift for a housewarming, birthday, anniversary, Mother's Day, or Teacher's Day — for anyone who loves plants, cooking, nature, or botanical illustration. It arrives by instant download, which makes it easy to give at short notice: purchase, forward the file, done. FROM THE STUDIO Every drawing begins with biological study and close observation — the scientific name, the structure, the feature that makes this species itself. The work follows the tradition of European botanical illustration, where science and art are the same act. From a studio in northern Italy, near Lake Como. DIGITAL TERMS This is a digital download, delivered electronically. Files are available immediately after payment. Because the files are delivered instantly, all sales are final and non-refundable. A personal-use licence is included: print for your home, give as a gift, use on mood boards. Commercial use, resale and redistribution are not included in this licence. SUPPORT If a file ever gives trouble — wrong size, won't open, anything at all — send a message and it will be sorted. Response within 24 hours. Questions before buying are always welcome. © Fiurdelin · Original Botanical Art