Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 05.viii.2023

Erebia ligea / Arran Brown
Zijoshja kafe
Nymphalidae - Satyrinae

Erebia ligea (Linnaeus, 1758). TL: Sweden.

1a. Erebia ligea, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Erebia ligea ♀ lateral. Gjallice, Albania (© Lulëzim Shuka)

Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 24-27 mm.
Black and white chequered fringes.
Upf: dark brown-black gc.
Upf: sex-brand, orange-red postdiscal band enclosing three to four clear white-pupiled ocelli (rarely blind)
Uph: orange-red postdiscal band enclosing three clear white-pupiled ocelli.
Unh: conspicuous white streak from costa to s5, can be followed by white submarginal marks along the outer margin, well developed postmarginal ocelli.
♀♀
Slightly larger.
Black and white chequered fringes.
Ups: dark brown gc, paler postdiscal bands.
Unh: longer and wider white streak, can be followed by white submarginal marks along the outer margin, well developed postmarginal 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 smaller. 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 euryale Size:smaller. Ups: fringes clearly checkered. Upf: small ocelli in regular postdiscal band. Upf: no sex-brand. Uph: often incomplete and small ocelli. Uns: fringes clearly checkered. Unf: often incomplete and small ocelli. Unh: incomplete to absent small ocelli. Unh: ♂♂ no conspicuous pale basal band. Unh: ♀♀ two pale irregular bands. Erebia pronoe Size:sligthly smaller. 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 end-June to mid-August.
Egg: overwintering the first year as an egg.
Caterpillar: overwintering the second year as L3 larva.
Pupa: 13-20 days.

Habitat
Erebia ligea inhabits light woodland among spruce in hilly areas from 800 up to 2000 m a.s.l.
Spacial requirement modest, population density can be high.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca rubra, Molinia caerulea and Sieglingia decumbens, also mentioned are Aira caryophyllea, Carex remota, C. sylvatica, Luzula sylvatica, Bromus erectus, Dactylis glomerata, Danthonia decumbens, Digitaria sanguinalis, Melica nutans, Milium effusum, Poa annua and Sesleria caerulea.
Butterflies feed on a large variety of flowers, often on Arnica sp.

Distribution
Albania: local (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 ligea is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: NA.

Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
euoButterflies

Contact