Parnassius cardinal, the cardinal Apollo, is a high-altitude butterfly which is found in north Afghanistan and Tajikistan. It is a member of the snow Apollo genus (Parnassius) of the swallowtail family (Papilionidae). The species was first described by Grigory Grum-Grshimailo in 1887. P. cardinal which was described as a species was for many years thought to be a subspecies of Parnassius delphius but it is a distinct species.