| Scotch argus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male | |
 | |
| Underside | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Erebia |
| Species: | E. aethiops |
| Binomial name | |
| Erebia aethiops (Esper, 1777) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
List
| |
The Scotch argus (Erebia aethiops) is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. In spite of its English name argus, it is not a close relation of the brown argus nor the northern brown argus.
Subspecies include: [2] [3]
Erebia aethiops is widespread in the Palearctic realm, including most of Europe, the Alps and Apennines, Balkans, Asia Minor, the Urals, and the Caucasus. [2] [4] English colonies are found at Arnside Knott and Smardale Gill both in Cumbria. This species is found in most of northern Scotland, and in western areas in south Scotland. [3] In Europe and Russia, these butterflies prefer the edge of pine forests and tall damp grassland in hills and mountains up to 2400 m. [3]
Erebia aethiops has a wingspan of 42–46 mm. Antennae are clavate (club shaped). The background colour of the wings varies from dark brown to black brown, with reddish-yellow bands, black eyespots with white pupils and greyish wing fringes, weakly chequered in the females. On the forewing there are three or four eyespots, usually two apical plus a third detached, while on the hindwings there are four or five.
The underside of the hindwings shows a whitish or cream banding [5] but there is a slightly marked sexual dimorphism. In Scotland, the subspecies caledonia has a narrower reddish-yellow band and never contains more than three small eyespots. Three black spots are present on each hindwing. The egg is oval shaped, with 20 to 28 longitudinal ribs. The mature caterpillar is yellow brown, with a brown head. The pupae are yellow brown and relatively short and compact, reaching a length of 12.5–124.5 millimetres (0.49–4.90 in).
This species is rather similar to Erebia ligea , but the fringes on the edges of the upper side of the wings are more light grey, while in E. ligea they are white.Wheeler (1903) gives a short description of both species. [6]
This species is univoltine. Adults fly from June to August. The eggs are laid singly on the leaves of grass. The larvae hatch after two weeks. The hibernating larva is reported to feed on Agrostis , Dactylis , Poa annua , Bromus erectus and other grasses. In Scotland the main host plants are purple moor-grass ( Molinia caerulea ) and blue moor-grass ( Sesleria caerulea ). [2] [3]
The large skipper is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae.
The ringlet is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is only one of the numerous "ringlet" butterflies in the tribe Satyrini.
Melanargia galathea, the marbled white, is a medium-sized butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Despite its common name and appearance, this butterfly is one of the "browns", of the subfamily Satyrinae.
Aporia crataegi, the black-veined white, is a large butterfly of the family Pieridae. A. crataegi is widespread and common. Its range extends from northwest Africa in the west to Transcaucasia and across the Palearctic to Siberia and Japan in the east. In the south, it is found in Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon and Syria. It is not usually present in the British Isles or northern Scandinavia.
Smerinthus ocellatus, the eyed hawk-moth, is a European moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.
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.
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.
Erebia tyndarus, the Swiss brassy ringlet, is a European brush-footed butterfly species of the subfamily Satyrinae.
Zygaena ephialtes is day-flying species of burnet moth found in Europe. It is typically found in xeric habitats, and populations have recently decreased. It also exhibits Müllerian mimicry with other species, like Amata phegea.
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.
Coenonympha arcania, the pearly heath, is a butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae.
Plebejus argyrognomon, common name Reverdin's blue is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. The species is named after Jacques-Louis Reverdin.
Minois dryas, the dryad, is a butterfly 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.
