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Erebia cassioides / Common Brassy Ringlet
Zioshja kasiodes
Nymphalidae - Satyrinae
Erebia cassioides (Hohenwarth, 1792). TL: Austria.
 
 
1a. Erebia cassioides, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Erebia cassioides ♀ underside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Habitat of Erebia cassioides. Mali i Roshkit, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Habitat of Erebia cassioides. Mali i Korabit, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 16-19 mm.
Ups: dark brown-black gc, metallic greenish reflections.
Upf: pointed apex, short tawny band not envading cell and enclosing two white-pupiled subapical ocelli.
Uph: three well developed white-pupiled posdiscal ocelli enclosed in tawny spots.
Unh: grey gc, darker discal band clearly indicated by dark brown transverse lines.
♀♀
Similar size.
Ups: paler gc and markings.
Unh: grey to yellowish grey gc, irrorated with darker scales, sometimes a contrasting darker discal band.
Similar species
Erebia are variable on ups and uns
for most of the characters: number of ocelli, postdiscal band, fringes, ... and some extreme cases are figured.
Identification is best done by combining different characters.
Erebia ottomana
Size: slightly larger Erebia.
Flying at lower altitude, can be syntopic > 2000 m a.s.l.
Earlier but overlapping flight time: worn E. ottomana with fresh E. cassioides.
Ups:  paler brown gc (fresh specimens)
Upf:  oval sm ocelli, also along outer margin.
Upf:  pale orange sm band.
Upf:  wider, more continuous orange sm band.
Unf:  paler orange gc.
Unf: oval sm ocelli along outer margin (not only at the apex) can be less pronounced than on upf.
Unh: ♂♂ discal band slight brownish-grey gc.
Unh: ♀♀ discal band brownish gc.
Unh:  small black spots in pd band.
Identification can be difficult.
Identification based on ♂♂ genitalia is recommended in case of doubt.
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Life cycle
Adults: single generation from July to early September.
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: overwintering as young larva.
Pupa: short stage.
Habitat
Erebia cassioides inhabits alpine grasslands from 1800 up to 2500 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement very modest, population density can be high.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed mainly on Festuca ovina, F. rubra and F. violacea, also mentioned are Nardus sp. and Sesleria sp.
Butterflies feed on a variety of low alpine flowers.
Distribution
Albania: very local in northern Albania.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO* - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB* - IT - ALP - BAL* - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU*
Not at all present in Asia Minor, Near East, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.
Conservation status
Erebia cassioides is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: DD.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
euroButterflies
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