Erebia alberganus
| Almond ringlet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Upperside | |
 | |
| Female, underside | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Erebia |
| Species: | E. alberganus |
| Binomial name | |
| Erebia alberganus (Prunner, 1798)[1] | |
Erebia alberganus, the almond ringlet or almond-eyed ringlet, is a member of the family Nymphalidae.
Subspecies
- Erebia alberganus alberganus (Prunner, 1798)
- Erebia alberganus phorcys (Freyer, 1836) (Bulgaria)[1][2]
Distribution and habitat
This species can be found in the alpine regions of France, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria, in the mountains of central Italy and in some mountains of the northern Balkans. These butterflies live in flowery meadows, clearings, grassy places, amongst scrub or woodland, at an elevation of 1,000–2,200 metres (3,300–7,200 ft) above sea level.[3][4]
Description
Erebia alberganus has a wingspan of 40 mm. These small butterflies have dark brown wings, with a series of distinctive postdiscal oval or almond shaped (hence the common name) orange markings containing small black spots with white highlights. The two sides of the wings are identical.[3][5] The females usually are slightly larger and lighter brown than the males. Moreover the eyespots have small white centres.[6]
This species is rather similar to a woodland ringlet but has smaller eyespots.[3]
Biology
Caterpillars feed on Gramineae, Poa annua, sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina) and sweet vernal-grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum).[2] When they are half-grown they hibernate. They pupate at the following spring.[1][4] Adults fly from mid-June to August.[2][3]
External links
- Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfili Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa
- Butterfly Guide
- Almond-eyed ringlet, UK Butterflies
References
- 1 2 3 "Erebia Dalman, 1816" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
- 1 2 3 Guide des papillons d'Europe et d'Afrique du Nord de Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington, éditions Delachaux et Niestlé, 1998 - (ISBN 2603011146)
- 1 2 3 4 Almond Eyed Ringlet, European Butterflies
- 1 2 IUCN
- ↑ Butterflies and Moths – A Photographic Guide to British and European Butterflies and Moths
- ↑ Butterlies of France