Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 15.iv.2024

Erebia euryale / Large Ringlet
Zijoshja eurialë
Nymphalidae - Satyrinae

Erebia euryale (Esper, [1805]) TL: Riesengebierge.

1a. Erebia euryale, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Erebia euryale ♂ on excrements. NMK (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Erebia euryale ♀ underside. NMK (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Erebia euryale ♂ underside. NMK (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Moderate size butterfly. Fw: 21-23 mm.
Black and white chequered fringes.
Ups: brown black gc, wide red postdiscal bands enclosing small ocelli.
Upf: no sex brand, ocelli almost always lacking white pupils.
Unh: reddish-brown gc, paler whitish-yellowish irrorated submarginal band enclosing only reduced number of small ocelli (often blind)
♀♀
Black and white chequered fringes.
Ups: dark brown gc, yellowish-red postdiscal bands.
Upf: small ocelli with minimal white pupils, often absent.
Unh: dark discal band, externally bordered whitish or yellowish, variable number of ocelli.

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. In doubt: ♂♂ genitalia bear differentiating characters and in such cases dissection is recommended for identification. Erebia aethiops Size:slightly larger. Upf: sex brand. Upf: constricted pd band. Upf:♂♂ fringes not checkered. !!! ♀♀ fringes can be slightly checkered. Uph: ♂♂ fringes not checkered. !!! ♀♀ fringes can be slightly checkered. Unf: constricted pd band. Unf: fringes not checkered. Unh: two pale bands (more marked in ♀♀) Unh: fringes not checkered. Unh: regular outer margin discal band. Erebia ligea Size:slightly larger. Ups: fringes clearly checkered. Upf: white-pupiled ocelli in regular pd band. !!! ocelli can be reduced and less white-pupiled. Upf: sex-brand. Uph: complete and white-pupiled ocelli. !!! ocelli can be reduced and less white-pupiled. Uns: fringes clearly checkered. Unf: complete and white-pupiled ocelli. !!! ocelli can be reduced and less white-pupiled. Unh: complete and white-pupiled ocelli. !!! ocelli can be reduced and less white-pupiled. Unh: one or two pure white streaks. Unh: inconspicuous paler bands. Erebia pronoe Size:similar or slightly larger. Ups: fringes not checkered. Upf: twin apical ocelli in clear orange pd band. Upf: inconspicuous sex-brand. Uns: fringes not checkered. Unh: distal part of discal band strongly toothed. Unh: two paler irregular bands.

Life cycle
Adults: single generation from July to August.
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: overwintering, often two years to develop.
Pupa: short stage.

Habitat
Erebia euryale inhabits a variety open, humid grasslands in open forests and open slopes with scatterd, often coniferous trees.
Spatial requirement moderate, population density often high.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed mainly on Carex flacca, C. ferruginea, C. sempervirens, Calamagrostis varia, Festuca airoides, F. ovina, F. rubra, Poa nemoralis, Sesleria caerulea and Milium effusum. Also mentioned are: Anthoxanthum odoratum, Briza media, Bromus erectus, Dactyllis glomerata, Danthonia decumbens, Milium effusum, Molinia caerulea, Nardus stricta, Luzula luzuloides and Poa alpina.
Butterflies feed on a variety of flowers, often Arnica sp.

Distribution
Albania: only recorded in northern Albania (more research needed)
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 euryale is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.

Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
euroButterflies

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