| Lesser mountain ringlet | |
|---|---|
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| Upperside | |
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| Underside | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Erebia |
| Species: | E. melampus |
| Binomial name | |
| Erebia melampus (Füssli, 1775) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Erebia melampus, the lesser mountain ringlet, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. [1]
This European endemic species occurs in the Alps from the Maritime Alps to eastern Austria (France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Austria). It prefers grassy places, in woodland or in open areas, at an elevation of 800–2,400 metres (2,600–7,900 ft) above sea level. [2] [3] [4] [5]
The wingspan is 30–36 mm. [6] These small butterflies have brown wings. Forewings show a postmedian band of orange oval to round markings containing small black spots. Hindwings have three or four postdiscal eyespots. [2]
E. melampus Fuessl. (= janthe Hbn., aetherius Esp., arete Bell.) (36 b). One of the commonest Erebias of the Alps. Other districts where it occurs are the Pyrenees, the High Tatra and the western and southern Carpathian Mts. The ground-colour is black-brown, the margin reddish grey, the antenna blackish above, whitish grey beneath. The forewing has a russet macular band, interrupted by the veins, bearing in the same 2—3, more rarely 4 black ocelli. On the hindwing there are before the distal margin 3—4 ovate ferruginous spots which bear black dots. The underside is paler, more reddish grey, the band and spots being distinct. The wings of the female are more elongate, the ground-colour and band being lighter than in the male. — On the Altvater in Silesia there occurs the form sudetica Stgr. (36b); it differs from the alpine form in the distal band of the forewing being broader and lighter and bearing regularly 4, sometimes even 5 black dots, and in the ferruginous yellow spots of the hindwing being larger and being more prominent than in name-typical melampus. — Egg elliptic, longitudinally ribbed, sulphur-yellow, becoming reddish grey before emergence. Larva clay-colour before the last moult, then bright green, with dark dorsal line which is finely bordered with light colour, and with indistinct lighter subdorsal lines which are edged with dark; a lateral stripe light green, above the same the small orange stigmata. Reared on Poa annua. Pupa pale yellowish grey, with darker markings; free on the ground. The butterflies are on the wing in July and August, flying often in great abundance on the grassy alpine meadows and occurring up to 2600 m, their flight being low, slow and straight on. [7]
Adults are on wing from July to September. [6] The larvae feed on various Festuca and Poa species ( Poa annua , Poa nemoralis , Festuca ovina ), as well as Anthoxanthum odoratum . [2]
Erebia epistygne, the spring ringlet, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in France and Spain. Its natural habitat is temperate grassland.
Erebia medusa, the woodland ringlet, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae.
Erebia tyndarus, the Swiss brassy ringlet, is a European brush-footed butterfly species of the subfamily Satyrinae.
Erebia pharte, the blind ringlet, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is an Alpine butterfly.
The yellow-spotted ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is associated with (sub)alpine meadows at 900–2,500 m above sea level. It is found in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Cantabrian Mountains, the Massif Central, the Vosges Mountains, the Carpathian Mountains and the mountains of Herzegovina.
The bright eyed ringlet is a member of the Satyridae subfamily of Nymphalidae. It is a high mountain butterfly found in the Pyrenees, Massif Central, Alps and Balkan mountains. It has recently been confirmed to occur in the southern chain of the Carpathians.
The autumn ringlet is a member of the Satyridae subfamily of the family Nymphalidae. It is a high-mountain butterfly found in the Pyrenees, Alps and in Italy.
The Eriphyle ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of family Nymphalidae. It is a high mountain butterfly found in the Alps.
The yellow-banded ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is a high mountain butterfly found in a small area of the Alps in Switzerland and Italy.
The marbled ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae.
The de Prunner's ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is a mountain butterfly found in Albania, Andorra, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Yugoslavia.
The Styrian ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is a mountain butterfly found in the Austrian and Italian Alps, Croatia and Slovenia.
The black ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is a high-altitude butterfly found in Albania, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania.
The sooty ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of family Nymphalidae. It is a high-altitude butterfly found in the Alps and Apennine Mountains on heights between 1,900 and 3,000 meters in Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia.
Mnestra's ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is a mountain butterfly found in the Alps of Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland. The Mnestra's ringlet is named for Mnestra, a daughter of Erysichthon, king of Thessaly in Greek mythology.
The water ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of family Nymphalidae. It is a high altitude butterfly found in the Alps, Bavaria, Styria, Pyrenees, Carpathians and Bulgaria.
The white speck ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of family Nymphalidae. It is a high-altitude butterfly found only in the Austrian Alps.
Erebia pandrose, the dewy ringlet, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from the Arctic areas of northern Europe, the Pyrenees, Alps, the Apennine Mountains, the Carpathian Mountains, Kola Peninsula and Kanin Peninsula, part of the Ural and the Altai and Sayan Mountains up to Mongolia.
Erebia dabanensis is a small butterfly found in the East Palearctic that belongs to the browns family.
Erebia maurisius is a butterfly found in the East Palearctic that belongs to the browns family.
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