Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 05.viii.2023

Erebia pronoe / Water Ringlet
Zijoshja pronoje
Nymphalidae - Satyrinae

Erebia pronoe (Esper, [1780]). TL: Styria.

1a. Erebia pronoe, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Erebia pronoe copula. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Habitat of Erebia pronoe. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Erebia pronoe ♂ underside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Erebia pronoe ♂ uppersie. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 21-25 mm.
Upf: inconspicuous sex-brand, clearly defined red postdiscal band enclosing twin subapical spots and a small ocellus in s2.
Uph: two or three small red-ringed submarginal ocelli.
Unh: violet-grey gc, scattered silver-grey irroration, dark brown discal band.
♀♀
Similar size.
Ups: paler brown gc and markings.
Unh: pale grey-brown gc, darker discal an marginal 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. 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 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 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.

Life cycle
Adults: single generation from end-July to September.
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: overwintering as small larva.
Pupa: short stage.

Habitat
Erebia pronoe inhabits moist grasslands in subalpine and alpine zone, often in small valleys and mountain creeks.
Spatial requirement moderate, population density can be high.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Anthoxanthum odoratum, Festuca ovina, F. rubra, and Poa sp.
Butterflies feed on a large variety of flowers.

Distribution
Albania: only old records (more research needed)
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO* - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB* - IT* - ALP - BA* - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU*
Not at all present in Asia Minor, Near East, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.

Conservation status
Erebia pronoe is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: DD.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: NA.

Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
euroButterflies

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