LEPIDOPTERA

• S A T Y R I D A E Boisduval, 1833

  • EREBIA Dalman, 1816

    
    

    • Erebia aethiops (Esper, [1777])

Erebia aethiops (Esper, [1777])

· TYPE LOCALITY. "Suddeutschland" [S. Germany].

· RANGE. From W. Europe across central Russia to W. Siberia and across the Caucasus to E. Turkey.

· DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The European part, W. Siberia, the Altai and Sayan Mts. - the nominate subspecies (= ligea Poda, 1761, nom. praeoccup.; = sapaudia Fruhstorfer, 1917; = altaica Goltz, 1930; = uralensis Goltz, 1930, nom. praeoccup.); the Caucasus Major and Minor - ssp. melusina Herrich-Schaffer, [1847].

· HABITAT AND BIOLOGY. Forest edges and clearings, meadows of the forest zone up to 2,400 m a.s.l. Flight period: June-August. Host plants (Eckstein, 1913; Nekrutenko, 1990; Hesselbarth et al., 1995; etc.): Agrostis, Dactylis, Poa and other grasses. Larvae hibernating.

· SIMILAR SPECIES. E. melancholica: UPH ocelli each with its own reddish-brown border or without it at all; male FW without androconial area; genitalia different. E. neriene: UPF and UPH bands differ in colour.

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