| Swiss brassy ringlet | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Erebia |
| Species: | E. tyndarus |
| Binomial name | |
| Erebia tyndarus (Esper, 1781) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Erebia tyndarus, the Swiss brassy ringlet, is a European brush-footed butterfly species of the subfamily Satyrinae.
The Swiss brassy ringlet belongs to the brassy ringlet group of its genus Erebia . These are found in taiga and alpine habitat across Eurasia, with one population in comparatively recent times colonizing North America. The brassy ringlet group, like many Erebia, has a complicated taxonomy, with scores of "variants" having been named in the late 19th and early 20th century. Most of these in fact were simply aberrations, local or seasonal forms. As this was realized, the brassy ringlets of the Alps and Pyrenees were united in E. tyndarus, either as a superspecies or as a species. [2]
In recent times, this question has been restudied, including the DNA sequence data available nowadays. The view that only a single species of this non-migratory butterfly with restricted habitat preferences occurs in far-flung localities like the Sierra Nevada of southern Spain or the Julian Alps of Slovenia is generally considered obsolete. [2]
Rather, it seems that quite a few proper species are involved. The Swiss brassy ringlet in particular is part of a cryptic species complex from the Alps. These diverged at the end of the Riss/Saale glaciation roughly 130,000 years ago, when the available habitat shifted up the mountains. The ancestors of the Alpine brassy ringlets had lived in the lowlands when the Alps were entirely covered by ice, and as the ice retreated, their typical habitat moved upwards, and the butterflies with them. Thus, populations became isolated in different mountain ranges and with gene flow between them restricted started to evolve into distinct species. [2]
The brassy ringlets from the Alps, the closest relatives of E. tyndarus, consist of three further species: [2]
The last is presumably closest to the last common ancestors of the Alpine brassy ringlets. [2]
This mid-sized member of the genus Erebia has a wingspan around 35 mm. It has the blackish-brown upperwings typical of this genus. It also has the brassy sheen or green-gold lustre on the forewings (hence the common English name). These colours are caused by interference of the light on the wing scales.
The upper forewings, and sometimes the upper hindwings also, bear an extensive coppery or orange patch, near the tip in the former and running parallel to the outer margin in the latter. In this patch there are black eyespots with a white dot in the middle, two immediately next to each other in the forewings and three or four more evenly spaced ones in the hindwings. These small spots do not touch each other. [3] However, the hindwing spots may be reduced or entirely absent, particularly in the males which also have a darker coloration overall.
The underwings are cryptically coloured in lighter greyish brown. A darker band arches between the forward and back margins of the hindwing, which has a prominent silvery sheen also found in closely related species of Erebia and conspicuous at a distance when these butterflies fly around in the sun. The reddish patches and the eyespots of the forewing also occur on the underwings, those of the hindwings usually do not.
The adults fly only for a brief time during summer, mainly in July and August, feeding on nectar of the preferred yellow mountain flowers. The eggs are green, oval and show many longitudinal ribs. The caterpillars are grey-green to grey-brown, with dark longitudinal lines. The pupa is thick and brown coloured. The Swiss brassy ringlet is univoltine and its caterpillars feed on Poaceae grasses, especially sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina), matgrass (Nardus stricta), and various other fescues (Festuca) and meadow-grasses (Poa). They overwinter and pupate on the ground around May and June. [2]
This species can be found in the Alps of France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, in Austrian Vorarlberg, and adjacent regions. [2] [4] [5]
This species can be found above the treeline, in clearings and rocky alpine meadows, at an altitude of 1,200–2,700 metres (3,900–8,900 ft). [3] [6]
The meadow brown is a butterfly found in the Palearctic realm. Its range includes Europe south of 62°N, Russia eastwards to the Urals, Asia Minor, Iraq, Iran, North Africa and the Canary Islands. The larvae feed on grasses.
Erebia is a Holarctic genus of brush-footed butterflies, family Nymphalidae. Most of the about 90–100 species are dark brown or black in color, with reddish-brown to orange or more rarely yellowish wing blotches or bands. These usually bear black spots within, which sometimes have white center spots.
Erebia euryale, the large ringlet, is a species of butterfly belonging to the family Nymphalidae.
Erebia alberganus, the almond ringlet or almond-eyed ringlet, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Erebia ligea, the Arran brown, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. This brown is widespread in south-eastern and northern Europe. It prefers mixed woodlands at low altitudes. It is rarely seen in open areas. This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae, and the type locality is Sweden.
Erebia medusa, the woodland ringlet, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae.
The Arctic ringlet or Disa alpine is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of family Nymphalidae. It is associated with wet muskeg and bogs in subarctic and Arctic climates, and is often found near the tree-line. The larva overwinters twice before undergoing metamorphosis into an adult. It is found in Arctic Europe, Arctic European Russia, Sajan, Irkutsk, Yakutsk, Yablonoi and Arctic North America.
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 marbled ringlet is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae.
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.
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 brassy ringlets are a species group of ringlet butterflies in the genus Erebia. Though closely related, their monophyly is not completely resolved. Still, the brassy ringlets are taxa similar to E. tyndarus – the Swiss brassy ringlet –, and in many cases certainly close relatives. A notable trait of their genus is an ability to adapt well to cold and somewhat arid habitat, like taiga or regions with alpine climate. Optimal habitat in Eurasia, where most of the brassy ringlets are found, therefore occurs in two distinct belts – in the very north of the continent and in the Alpide belt – in interglacials, and in glacials in one periglacialic belt at lower altitude, in places interrupted by dry wasteland and deserts.
Erebia nivalis, or de Lesse's brassy ringlet, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is found throughout the Alps of southern Austria with a remote population in central Switzerland.
Erebia cassioides, the common brassy ringlet, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of family Nymphalidae.
Erebia melampus, the lesser mountain ringlet, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae.
The Stygian ringlet is a butterfly belonging to the subfamily Satyrinae, the "browns", within the family Nymphalidae. It is found locally in the Alps on dry limestone slopes. It is very similar to the Styrian ringlet and has sometimes been included in that species.
Erebia polaris, the Arctic woodland ringlet, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Lapland and boreal Asia.
Erebia calcaria, or Lorkovic's brassy ringlet, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the Alps. The species inhabits southern exposed slopes with alpine grassland interspersed with rocks. Screes without vegetation or only a few grass tussocks cannot serve as habitat.
Erebia vidleri, the northwest alpine or Vidler's alpine, is butterfly belonging to the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in western North America.
