Oeneis glacialis

Last updated

Alpine grayling
Oeneis glacialis.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Oeneis
Species:
O. glacialis
Binomial name
Oeneis glacialis
(Moll, 1785)
Alpine grayling Gletscherfalter, Oeneis glacialis.JPG
Alpine grayling

Oeneis glacialis, the Alpine Grayling, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the Alps at heights of 1400 to 2900 m above sea level.

Contents

The wingspan is 50–56 mm. The butterflies are on wing from June to August depending on the location.

The larvae feed on Festuca species. [1]

Description

The upper side of the Alpine Grayling has a pale gray (males) or pale brown (females) basic tint. The dark gray marbled underside of the hind wings is traversed by white wing veins. If you take a cursory look in its alpine habitat, in central Europe the species can only be confused with Lasiommata petropolitana or Lasiommata maera . However, both have large, conspicuous eye-spots on the upper sides of both wings, which the Alpine Grayling lacks. [1]

Range

The species is endemic to the Alps, where it is distributed over the entire Alpine arc with a focus on the Central Alps. Evidence in the Bavarian Alps piles up with 43% of all sites in the particularly intensively researched Allgäu high Alps. In addition, isolated observations are known in the Allgäu from the Vorderen Bregenz Forest (Nagelfluhkette) and from the Vilser Mountains. The Alpine Grayling is relatively common in the Ammergau Alps. There are several reports from the Wetterstein and Karwendel Mountains and the western Kochel Mountains (Ester Mountains). Further east there are only a few reports from the eastern Kochel er Mountains, the Mangfall Mountains and the Chiemgau Alps. What is striking is the lack of it east of the Tiroler Ache as far as the Berchtesgaden Alps. This apparently natural gap on the northern edge of the area is confirmed in the Austrian distribution atlas (Reichl 1992). According to this, the Alpine Grayling only reaches the northern edge of the Alps to the west of the river Inn, while to the east it remains largely restricted to central alpine occurrences. [1]

Habitat

The height amplitude of the reports spans a range of 900-2300 m, with a focus between 1700 m and 2000 m. [1] The German name "Gletscherfalter" (=glacier butterfly), derived from the scientific name "glacialis", is misleading and only a reference to the vertical niche. Rather, a short-grass vegetation structure of various lawn communities in a mosaic with rock and rubble corridors as well as tanning and (soil) dryness reflect the most important habitat requirements. [1]

Ecology

The imagos are fast, agile fliers that often sit on the ground or rock, but also on wood or dry grass. The animals are well camouflaged by the color of the underside of the wings. The males show territorial behavior or hide hunting for females flying past, whereby other insects are also accidentally approached. [1] Flower visits are hardly documented in Bavaria, so far Acinos alpinus , Rhododendron hirsutum and Thymus spp. reported as nectar plants.

The eggs are laid individually and close to the ground mostly on withered grass leaves. Festuca ovina agg. and other Festuca species are known as host plants in the higher altitudes. As far as is known so far, larval development takes place every two years, with the young caterpillar and then the last caterpillar stadiums overwintering. [1] The flight time differs due to the great height amplitude. The species usually flies from early June to early August, with a peak between late June and mid-July. In lower-lying occurrences and in unusually dry and warm springs (e.g. 2003, 2007), the species can be observed from mid-May. Depending on the weather, the imagos can be quite long-lived. The species shows a two-year development: The available data for Bavaria show the odd years (e.g. 2001, 2003, 2005) as the flight years with more individuals, without the Alpine Grayling being remarkably rare in even years at all. [1]

Etymology

aello: Greek for "One of the harpies sent by the gods to punish people." [2]

Taxonomy

Synonym: Papilio aello Huebner, [1803-1804]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dingy skipper</span> Species of butterfly

The dingy skipper is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small mountain ringlet</span> Species of butterfly

The small mountain ringlet or mountain ringlet is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in mountainous regions of southern and central Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grayling (butterfly)</span> Species of butterfly

The grayling or rock grayling is a species in the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae. Although found all over Europe, the grayling mostly inhabits coastal areas, with inland populations declining significantly in recent years. The grayling lives in dry and warm habitats with easy access to the sun, which helps them with body temperature regulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large grizzled skipper</span> Species of skipper butterfly genus Pyrgus

The Large Grizzled skipper is a species of skipper butterfly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olive skipper</span> Species of skipper butterfly genus Pyrgus

The Olive Skipper is a species of skipper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinquefoil skipper</span> Species of skipper butterfly

The Cinquefoil Skipper is a species of skipper butterfly.

<i>Lasiommata megera</i> Species of butterfly

Lasiommata megera, the wall or wall brown, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is widespread in the Palearctic realm with a large variety of habitats and number of generations a year.

<i>Erebia euryale</i> Species of butterfly

Erebia euryale, the large ringlet, is a species of butterfly belonging to the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Lasiommata maera</i> Species of butterfly

Lasiommata maera, the large wall brown, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Oeneis</i> Genus of butterflies

Oeneis is a butterfly genus of the Satyrinae. All but one of its members are Arctic, sub-Arctic or high-altitude alpine in distribution. Some of the members of the genus are among the butterflies that can get along in the harshest climates of any butterflies. Four species in Europe, more are found in Arctic Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, Arctic North America and the Rocky Mountains. Curiously, there are no observations from Greenland. The development of most species takes two years.

<i>Hipparchia fagi</i> Species of butterfly

Hipparchia fagi, the woodland grayling, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Lasiommata petropolitana</i> Species of butterfly

Lasiommata petropolitana, the northern wall brown, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. It can be found in large parts of Europe, from the Pyrenees and Alps up to Scandinavia and Finland, east to Russia and Siberia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpine grizzled skipper</span> Species of skipper butterfly genus Pyrgus

The Alpine Grizzled Skipper is a species of skipper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dusky grizzled skipper</span> Species of skipper butterfly genus Pyrgus

The Dusky Grizzled Skipper is a species of skipper butterfly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muschampia floccifera</span> Species of butterfly

Muschampia floccifera, the tufted skipper or tufted marbled skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae.

<i>Oeneis nevadensis</i> Species of butterfly

Oeneis nevadensis is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is commonly known as the great Arctic, Nevada Arctic, great grayling, Felder's Arctic, or Pacific Arctic. It is native to northwestern North America.

<i>Oeneis bore</i> Species of butterfly

Oeneis bore, the white-veined Arctic or Arctic grayling, is a butterfly, a species of Satyrinae that occurs in North America and Asia.

<i>Hipparchia genava</i> Species of butterfly

Hipparchia genava, the lesser rock grayling, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 editor., Bräu, Markus (2013). Tagfalter in Bayern. ISBN   978-3-8001-7985-5. OCLC   862073451.{{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "Oeneis glacialis - LepiWiki". lepiforum.org. Retrieved 2021-12-17.