LEPIDOPTERA

• S A T Y R I D A E Boisduval, 1833

  • EREBIA Dalman, 1816

    
    

    • Erebia medusa ([Dennis et Schiffermuller], [1775])

Erebia medusa ([Dennis et Schiffermuller], [1775])

· TYPE LOCALITY. "Umgebung Wien" [Vienna, Austria].

· RANGE. From the Pyrenees across central, S. and E. Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, the Urals and S. Siberia to the E. Amur region, N. China and N. Mongolia.

· DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The nominate subspecies occurs in the W. European part. In addition, further two subspecies can be recognized: ssp. psodea (Hubner, 1804) (= chatiparae Sheljuzhko, 1937 - the S. European part, the Caucasus Major and Minor; ssp. transiens Heyne, 1895 - Siberia, Transbaikalia and the Amur region.

· TAXONOMIC NOTES. There is no common view concerning the identity of the latter two subspecies, which are referred by some authors to a similar species, E. polaris.

· HABITAT AND BIOLOGY. A common species of herb meadows, forest edges and clearings in the forest zone. Flight period May to July. Host plants in Europe (Eckstein, 1913; Hesselbarth et al., 1995; etc.): Digitaria, Panicum, Setaria, Brachypodium, Festuca, Bromus and other grasses.

· SIMILAR SPECIES. E. polaris - UNH postdiscal band lighter in colour than the ground colour; reddish-brown markings poorly developed.

Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 1. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 1997