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Erebia melas / Black Ringlet
Zijoshja melas
Nymphalidae - Satyrinae
Erebia melas (Herbst, 1796). TL: Pecinișca, Banat, Romania.
 
 
 
 
1a. Erebia melas, distribution map.  Historical data ;  Additional data from the 2018 update ;  New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Erebia melas ♂ underside. Maja e Gjalices, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Erebia melas ♂ upperside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Erebia melas ♂ lateral. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Predating crab spider. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f. Erebia melas ♀ caught by a crab spider. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1g. Habitat of Erebia melas. Mali i Tomorit, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1h. Habitat of Erebia melas. Maja e Hekurave, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 21-24 mm.
Ups: black gc, metallic reflections, often two (variable) white-pupilled apical ocelli.
Uph: less marked or absent ocelli.
Unh: similar as ups.
♀♀
Ups: paler gc and strongly marked with ocelli.
Upf: rarely a vestigial fulvous band.
Unh: brown gc, marbled, sometimes with better defined postdiscal band.
Similar species
Other Erebia.
Ups and uns: none with black gc.
 
Life cycle
Adults: single generation from July to September.
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: overwintering as small larva.
Pupa: short stage.
Habitat
Erebia melas inhabits stony and rocky slopes, cliffs from 1200 up to 2100 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement moderate, population density can be moderate.
Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Festuca ovina.
Butterflies feed on the available flowers, often on Arnica sp.
Distribution
Albania: local in mountain areas.
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 melas is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: LC.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.
Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
euroButterflies
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